I 

I 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


>~- 


Yon  are  a  mean  temperance  meddler 


THE 


LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM: 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  HISTORY  OF  CRANE'S  CORNER, 

WHERE  "  LUCK "  WAS  SLOWLY  LEARNED. 


THE  WHOLE  INTENDED  AS  A  SAFE  GUIDE  OF  ALL  YOUNG 
PEOPLE  TO  "GOOD  LUCK." 


BY 

REV.   Z.   A.   MUDGE, 

AUTHOB  OP  "  SHELL  COVE,"  ETC. 


Soston: 
Published  by  <D.  Jlotkrop  &  Co. 

(bover,  JV.  H.:  G.  T.  (Day  &  Co. 

1873. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1873, 

BT  D.  LOTHEOP  &  CO., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


M884-4L 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I.  PAGB 

A  HINT, 5 

CHAPTER   II. 
SUNSHINE, 17 

CHAPTER   III. 
SHADOWS, «...      35 

CHAPTER   IV. 
THE  CHILDRENS'  MEETING, 50 

CHAPTER   V. 
THE  RAISING,        .       .       . 63 

CHAPTER   VI. 
MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM, 76 

CHAPTER   VII. 
THE  HUSKING, 95 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
AFTER  THE  HUSKING, 115 

CHAPTER   IX. 
THE  NEW  SCHOOLMASTER, 136 

CHAPTER    X. 
A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER, 152 

CHAPTER   XI. 
TUB  WINTER  SCHOOL,  .175 

CHAPTER   XII. 

THE  EXAMINATION,  .    200 


622647 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XIII.  PAGE 

PATTY  VOSE,          , 219 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
STTTDYING  BY  RULE, 239 

CHAPTER   XV. 
"MosEPoND," 255 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
A  NEW  LIFE, 277 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
BURDENED  HEARTS,       .       .       .       .       .       .     '  .       .    297 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 
THE  COMFORTER, 318 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
THE  DECEIVERS  AND  THE  DECEIVED,          .       .       «     '  .    330 

CHAPTER   XX. 
LONELY  AND  COMFORTLESS, 349 

CHAPTER   XXI. 
THE  ANGEL  HELPER, 368 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
THE  JUBILEE, 380 


THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  HINT. 

THE  homestead  of  Alden  Farm,  as  a  whole, 
is,  at  the  time  of  our  story,  a  good  speci- 
men of  the  New  England  homesteads  of  "the 
olden  time."  The  old  chimney  is  there,  in 
the  center  of  the  house,  and  contains  bricks 
enough  for  all  the  chimneys  of  three,  first 
class,  modern  farm  houses.  But  the  old  fire- 
place, its  settle,  huge  crane,  large,  winter 
back-logs,  around  whose  great  fire  the  chil- 
dren could  scarcely  keep  comfortably  warm, 
and  up  whose  immense  flue  the  heat  rushed, 
into  the  thin,  cold  atmosphere,  as  if  bravely 


6         THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

seeking  to  warm  "all  out  doors," — this  old 
fire-place,  we  say,  is  not  there. 

The  proprietor — we  mean  plain  John  Alden, 
the  farmer  and  owner  of  the  house  and  its 
farm  —  does  not  retain  old  things  because 
they  are  old,  nor  reject  proposed  changes 
because  they  are  new.  He  was  in  the  prime 
of  life  when  cooking-stoves  were  proposed 
as  a  substitute  for  the  old  fire-place.  John, 
when  in  town  with  a  load  of  his  best  oak 
wood,  which  had  begun  to  bring  "a  good 
price" — say  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  cord, 
stepped  into  a  stove  dealer's  to  look  at  "the 
new  notion."  The  man  of  stoves,  with  a 
sharp  eye  to  trade,  opened  its  doors  to  ex- 
hibit its  fire-range,  oven  and  drafts,  paraded 
its  shining  furniture,  with  a  proud  air,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  Mister,  see  that ! "  and 
talked  the  while  in  a  manner  which  meant 
trade. 

John  Alden  whistled,  thrust  his  hands  into 
his  pockets,  examined  the  article  closely,  made 


A  HINT.  7 

little  talk  with  the  man,  and  finally  stood 
some  minutes  in  musing  silence. 

"What's  the  price  of  that  arrangement?" 
said  John,  breaking  the  silence. 

"  Only  thirty-six  dollars  !  "  said  the  stove 
man,  blandly. 

"I'll  talk  with  Patience  about  it,"  said 
John,  turning  resolutely  away. 

John  mounted  the  seat  of  his  heavy  ox- 
wagon,  and  rode  off  whistling,  while  the 
disappointed  man  of  trade  walked  back  to 
his  bench,  muttering,  "The  simpleton  don't 
know  his  mind,  but  must  ask  his  old  woman 
at  home !  Such  old  fellows  would  not  pay 
thirty-six  dollars  for  all  the  improvements  in 
Christeadom ! " 

"I'll  take  that  article, "  said  John  Alden, 
just  three  weeks  from  this  time,  as  he  walked 
into  the  stove  dealer's  place  of  business,  at 
the  same  time  drawing  a  purse  of  silver  dol- 
lars from  his  pocket. 

John   and    his   wife,   Patience,   had   talked 


8         THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

the  matter  over  beside  their  huge  fire-place. 
They  carefully  noted  the  increasing  value  of 
wood ;  they  called  to  mind  the  cold  drafts 
from  the  opened  doors,  during  the  winter, 
and  the  hot  drafts  which  went  roaring  up  the 
chimney ;  John  explained  what  he  deemed  the 
conveniences  of  the  new  invention  —  its  sav- 
ing of  labor  and  fuel ;  and,  finally,  the  great 
outlay  of  thirty-six  hard  dollars,  earned  by 
hard  toil,  was  balanced,  with  careful  reck- 
oning, against  these  advantages.  When  the 
decision  was  once  made,  John  and  Patience 
went  quietly  at  work,  as  assured  that  their 
'decision  was  right,  as  if  it  had  been  consid- 
ered by  a  jury  of  the  fathers  of  the  town, 
and  they  had  rendered  their  verdict  in  due 
form. 

John  and  Patience  Alden  were  not  self- 
conceited  people,  but  they  did  have  "a  mind 
of  their  own,"  as  even  the  stove-man  now 
believed,  and-  a  self-reliance  which  was  re- 
markably fruitful  of  good  luck.  . 


A   HINT.  U 

The  mason  was  called  to  wall  up,  with 
brick  and  mortar,  the  ancestral  fire-place. 
The  man  with  the  trowel  worked  away,  but 
grumbled  as  he  worked,  "It  is  none  of  my 
business,  Patience  Aldeu,  and  I  am  not  a 
man  to  be  meddling  with  other  people's  af- 
fairs. But  it  does  seem  to  me  that  John 
is  real  foolish.  "  I  heard  my  mother  tell  how 
his  good  old  grandparents  sat  before  this 
very  fire-place,  resting  and  chatting,  and  then 
getting  out  the  great  family  Bible j  just  as 
people  used  to  do,  when  new  faugled  things 
wan't  so  much  thought  of.  And  then,  Pa- 
tience, haven't  I  seen,  since  your  day  in 
this  house,  John's  own  dear  father  and 
mother,  sitting  right  here,  in  this  place 
which  I'm  shutting  up  never  to  be  seen 
again,  drinking  their  cider  of  a  cold  winter 
evening,  and  a  thanking  God  for  their  own 
home  and  hearth?  Dear  me,  what  would 
they  say  !  Well,  they  have  gone  where  they 
won't  be  troubled  with  these  times  of  pride 
and  nonsense." 


10        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Patience  dropped  a  tear  at  the  allusion  to 
the  greatly  beloved  parents,  which  the  brick- 
layer mistook  for  a  tear  of  regret  at  John's 
foolish  purchase ;  so  he  added  with  increased 
earnestness,  "Patience  Alden,  I  never 
thought  you  were  to  blame  for  this  foolish 
business.  It  don't  seem  like  John  neither. 
He's  been  real  lucky,  and  got  ahead  smartly. 
But  it  don't  signify,  he's  missed  it  this  time !" 

Patience  wiped  the  tears  from  her  face,  at 
this  reflection  upon  her  husband,  and  turned 
to  the  meddler,  with  a  quiet  but  resolute 
countenance,  as  she  exclaimed,  "John  and 
I  are  perfectly  agreed  concerning  this  im- 
provement ! " 

The  man  subsided  into  a  becoming  silence 
during  the  rest  of  his  stay  in  the  house. 

John  Alden's  neighbor,  Mr.  Crone,  and 
his  wife,  Jerusha  Crone,  and  all  the  little 
Crones,  let  fly  their  sharp  arrows,  that  is, 
their  bitter  words,  at  John  and  his  wife,  for 
their  late  extravagance. 


A  HINT.  11 

"I  can't  afford  to  spend  thirty-six  hard- 
earned  dollars  to  gratify  my  wife's  foolish 
notion  for  a  new  thing." 

"You  may  thank  your  good  fortune,"  said 
Mrs.  Crone,  smartly,  "that  your  wife  has  no 
foolish  notion  after  new  things." 

"I  know  it,  woman,"  said  Mr.  Crone,  in 
a  conciliatory  manner.  "We  always  get 
along  nicely  in  the  good  old  paths.  I  told 
the  parish  committee,  when  they  came  round 
to  make  up  the  salary  of  the  parson,  that  I 
should  pay  only  the  two  cords  of  wood, 
which  I  have  always  paid,  and  which  my 
father  and  grandfather  paid.  flt  was  enough,' 
said  I,  'for  their  minister,  and  it's  enough 
for  mine.'  But,  Jerusha,  I  believe  they 
would  have  teased  another  cord  from  me, 
had  you  not  given  them  a  piece  of  your 
mind  about  the  extravagance  of  the  times." 

All  the  little  Crones  caught  the  spirit  of 
their  parents.  Ezekiel,  or  "Zeke,"  as  they 
called  him,  said,  petulantly,  "The  Alden  boys 


12       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

always  did  feel  big.  Now  they  will  be 
grander  than  ever ! "  And  Zake  gave  his 
"chip  hat"  a  toss  into  the  air,  and  a  kick 
when  it  came  down,  transferring  to  his  in- 
nocent hat  the  ill  will  he  felt  to  the  lucky 
children  of  Alden  Farm. 

Neighbor  Goodnow  thought  that  John  and 
Patience  knew  what  they  were  about.  "For 
my  part,"  he  said,  "I  would  not  risk  the 
throwing  away  of  thirty-six  hard-earned  dol- 
lars, but  I  shan't  matter  it,  if  John's  exper- 
iment proves  saving.  It's  a  blessing  to  have 
a  man  like  John  among  folks,  who  is  willing 
to  take  all  the  risk  of  new  things." 

Goodnow  represented  •  a  class  of  John's 
neighbors,  who  were  sure  to  reap  a  benefit 
from  his  spirit  of  enterprise.  If  his  plans 
succeeded,  they  adopted  them ;  if  they 
failed,  they  were  wiser  in  their  own  eyes 
than  before,  exclaiming  complacently,  "We 
told  you  so,  John !  That  was  a  silly  notion 
of  yours ! " 


A  HINT.  13 

John  Alden  and  his  wife  were  fully  in- 
formed by  the  gossipers  concerning  the  talk 
of  their  neighbors.  But  they  were  neither 
angry  nor  disturbed.  He  sometimes  laughed 
heartily  at  their  expense.  He  could  gen- 
erally afford  to  do  this,  for  his  plans  were 
adopted  with  caution,  and  patient  thinking, 
and  then  carried  out  with  decision.  So  he 
laughed  when  his  neighbors  grumbled,  and 
felt  the  better  for  it,  especially  as  his  health- 
ful laughing  did  them  no  hurt. 

John's  stove  was  set  up,  and  in  due  time 
the  winter  came.  In  the  time  of  which  we 
speak,  the  winter,  like  the  early  Puritan 
society,  was  a  positive  "institution."  The 

fall   did   not   shade   into  the  winter,  and  the 
i 
winter  into   the   spring,   so  that   one   was   at 

loss  to  tell  whether  the  winter  had  been  ab- 
sorbed by  these  two  seasons,  or  whether 
there  had  been  no  season  in  particular,  as 
in  these  degenerate  times.  The  cold  came 
on,  like  a  genuine  article  as  it  was,  direct 


f 

14        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

from  the  Arctic  regions.  The  snow  was  a 
home  product,  and  in  quality  and  quantity 
did  credit  to  the  sturdy  old  character  of  the 
New  England  climate. 

The  great  kitchen  of  Alden  Farm  smiled 
"all  over  its  face,"  as  the  little  Aldens  dil- 
igently supplied  the  stove,  in  a  stormy  win- 
ter evening,  with  well  seasoned,  oak  wood ; 
it  did  not  smile,  as  in  the  days  of  the  huge 
fire-place,  on  one  side  of  its  face  with  the 
rosy  hue  of  summer  heat,  and  on  the  other 
scowl  with  a  biting  frost.  The  old  kitchen 
was  jubilant  with  the  stove's  genial  warmth, 
and  so  were  the  kitchen's  inmates.  ^The 
little  Aldens,  with  whom,  in  a  larger  growth 
we  are  to  become  acquainted,  sat  around  a 
table  at  one  end  of  the  room.  Their  parents 
sat  at  the  little  "snap  stand"  at  the  other. 
The  young  folks  liked  this;  their  pent-up 
laughter  and  sly  fun  were  under  less  re- 
straint than  when  the  family  were  huddled 
about  the  now  cast-off  back  log.  The  par 


A  HINT.  15 

ents  liked  it,  because,  sitting  by  themselves, 
they  had  more  quiet,  a  better  chance  to  in- 
dulge in  their  own  line  of  talk,  and,  espe- 
cially because  they  did  not  choose  to  see 
and  hear  all  that  their  children  did.  John 
and  Patience  did  enjoy  immensely  to  see  the 
young  folks  fairly  sparkle  and  run  over  at 
times,  with  youthful  animation.  They  knew 
when  such  outbursts  had  the  right  moral 
tone,  and  they  knew  how  not  to  be  nervous 
at  their  noise,  and  when  not  to  put  their 
hands  on  the  escaping  steam,  and  so  how 
not  to  scald  themselves,  and  how  not  to  blow 
up  the  children. 

John  Alden  cut  the  usual  generous  pile 
of  wood  that  winter.  He  did  not  spend 
his  time  loitering  in  the  kitchen,  because  it 
was  more  comfortable  than  usual.  When  the 
Crones  saw  his  wood-pile,  larger,  as  they 
thought,  than,  ever,  they  shrugged  their 
shoulders  and  said,  "John  don't  expect  to 
save  any  fuel  by  his  new  notion,  after  all ! " 


16        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

But  before  the  summer  was  ended,  he  had 
sold  in  town  enough  wood  saved  by  the 
store  to  replace  more  than  half  of  those 
thirty-six  dollars  which  so  troubled  his  neigh- 
bors. 

"It  is  the  luck  of  Alden  Farm  folks  to 
have  things  come  out  just  so ! "  exclaimed 
the  Crones.  "Every  wind  is  fair  for  them. 
We  never  did  have  any  luck."  But  deacon 
Turner  said  in  his  quiet  way  that  he  thought 
that  the  luck  at  Alden  Farm  was  nothing 
more  than  God's  blessing  on  the  exerciss 
of  good  sense,  and  the  putting  forth  of  a 
genuine  Yankee  energy. 


CHAPTER  n. 

SUNSHEtfE. 

IT  was  a  bitter  cold  evening  of  the  winter 
in  which  the  "new  notion"  was  introduced 
into  the  great  kitchen  of  Alden  Farm.  The 
snow  was  drifting  in  heavy  banks  about  the 
door- ways  and  across  every  pathway.  When 
a  gust  of  wind  unusually  fierce  rattled  the 
sleet  against  the  windows,  Carver,  the  oldest 
son,  pushed  the  elbow  of  Miles,  who  sat  by 
his  side  absorbed  in  a  book  he  was  reading, 
and  exclaimed,  "  Hear  that  Miles,  don't  it 
come  good !  I  guess  it  will  be  fun  to-mor- 
row wading  to  school  through  the  snow ! " 

Miles  looked  up  for  a  moment,  remarked 
dreamily  that  it  did  storm  splendidly,  and 
dropped  his  eyes  again  upon  his  book. 

17  2 


18        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

The  youngest  child,  the  baby  Winslow, 
was  asleep  in  the  cradle,  on  the  rocker  of 
which  Mrs.  Alden's  foot  was  resting,  while 
her  hands  were  busily  engaged  in  mending 
some  rather  large  holes  in  the  stockings  of 
the  boys.  Her  husband  sat  on  the  other 
side  of  the  table,  with  folded  hands,  in  a 
musing  attitude.  His  face  at  last  relaxed 
into  a  humorous  expression,  not  uncommon 
in  his  familiar  intercourse  with  his  family, 
as  he  bent  down  and  whispered  to  his  wife, 
"Patience,  can  you  say  your  lesson  in  the 
Catechism?" 

Mrs.  Alden,  a  little  startled,  said  with  a 
slight  expression  of  doubt  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  the  question,  "I  am  not  a  child,  John, 
to  be  getting  a  lesson  in  the  Catechism." 

John  smiled,  but  answered  seriously,  "Xo, 
Patience,  but  the  minister  said  last  Sunday, 
that  the  children  would  meet  on  Saturday 
following  the  Wednesday-lecture,  in  the  big 
kitchen  of  the  -  parsonage,  with  their  Cate- 


SUNSHINE.  19 

chisms,  and  he  should  know  what  members 
neglected  the  religious  instruction  of  their 
children.  Now,  Patience,  you  know  we 
haven't  neglected  this  duty  altogether,  but 
it  don't  stand  to  reason  that  the  children 
will  learn  from  us  what  we  don't  know  our- 
selves." 

"Do  you  mean,  John,"  said  Patience,  lay- 
ing down  her  half  darned  stocking  and  look- 
ing at  her  husband  with  a  shade  of  severity 
upon  her  usually  calm  face,  "that  we  ought 
to  go  to  the  parsonage  and  say  our  Cate- 
chism with  the  children,  to  prove  to  them 
that  we  know  what  it  teaches?" 

"No,  Patience,"  replied  Mr.  Alden,  with 
a  merry  twinkle  of  his  eye.  "  You  need 
only  to  recite  to  me!" 

"  Oh ! "  replied  Mrs.  Alden,  pleasantly, 
resuming  her  work,  "if  that  is  all,  you  can 
get  the  Catechism  and  proceed." 

John  took  down  from  the  book-case  one 
of  several  carefully  preserved  copies  of  tho 


20        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

important  little  book,  and  commenced  a  very 
slow  and  hesitating  questioning  of  his  wife. 
Patience's  face  wore  a  devout  expression, 
but  her  attention  seemed  not  to  be  diverted 
a  moment  from  her  work,  while  she  answered 
every  question  as  readily  as  though  the  an- 
swers had  been  the  last  committed  lessons 
of  a  girl  of  sixteen.  John,  surprised,  put 
the  questions  more  rapidly  and  with  less 
caution  as  to  being  heard  by  the  children. 
He  ran  through  many  sections  of  the  book, 
and  then  skipped  here  and  there,  picking 
out  questions  which  involved  long  and  diffi- 
cult answers.  But  Patience,  nowhere,  for  a 
moment  tripped. 

"Nicely  done,"  said  Mr.  Alden,  laying 
down  the  book  and  pushing  back  his  chair, 
as  if  he  was  about  to  walk  the  room  as  he 
often  did. 

"Stop,  John,"  said  Patience,  the  twinkle 
this  time  being  in  her  eye ;  "  it  don't  stand 
to  reason  that  you  can  insist  upon  the  chil- 


SUNSHINE.  21 

dren  knowing  the  Catechism,  without  you 
can  answer  its  questions  yourself.  Let  me 
hear  you!" 

John  blushed  a  little,  but  drew  his  chair 
up  again  to  the  table  and  waited  for  the 
questions.  Patience  proceeded  very  seriously 
and  slowly  to  put  them.  The  answers  for 
some  time,  though  very  deliberately  given, 
were  correct.  But  when  his  wife  began  to 
skip  about,  and  select  random  questions, 
John  plead  a  bad  memory,  and  declared  he 
would  read  nothing  but  the  Bible  and  Cate- 
chism until  he  could  answer  every  one. 

Carver  and  Miles,  at  their  table,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  were  listening  to  this 
Catechism  recitation.  They  laughed  a  little 
slyly  when  father  stumbled  at  the  answers, 
and  Carver  whispered  in  his  brother's  ear  that 
mother  was  "too  wide-awake"  for  father. 

"Maybe  she  catches  him  now,"  answered 
Miles,  in  an  undertone,  "but  I  reckon  father 
will  answer  all  the  questions  like  a  book, 
after  about  two  evenings." 


22        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

The  storm  increased  at  a  fearful  rate.  Mr. 
Alden  lit  the  lamp  in  the  lantern  and  went 
to  the  barn  to  see  if  "all  was  right."  The 
thought  that  a  barn  door  might  have  been 
accidently  left  open,  or  the  bedding  of  some 
of  the  animals  neglected,  urged  this  special 
care.  Mrs.  Alden  had  more  precious  sub- 
jects of  interest  on  her  mind.  She  took  the 
candle  from  the  old  mantle-piece  and  went 
up  stairs  to  see  if  the  sleepers  in  the  trun- 
dle-bed, Euth  and  Eachel,  were  "warm  and 
comfortable."  She  tucked  them  up  anew, 
laid  an  additional  blanket  over  their  feet, 
paused  a  moment  to  look  at  the  cozy  nest- 
lers  and  say,  "  God  bless  them,"  and  then 
to  examine  carefully  everything  through  the 
chambers  that  the  cold  could  injure. 

While  the  parents  were  absent  on  these 
errands  of  kindness  and  love,  the  sons  dis- 
cussed in  their  way  the  parental  study  of 
the  Catechism. 

"  Mother  did  answer  the  questions  splen- 
didly," remarked  Carver. 


SUNSHINE.  23 

"Yes,"  said  Miles,  "but  father  didn't  do 
bad.  I  reckon  though  women  can  always 
beat  the  men  in  answering  smart  and  lively. 
How  the  girls  do  beat  us,  Carver,  at  school !" 

Carver  was  taken  by  surprise  at  this  allu- 
sion, and  blushed  a  little,  for  Squire  Treen's 
daughter  had  gone  above  him  that  day  in 
the  class,  by  answering  a  question  he  had 
missed.  He  defended  himself  and  his  sex 
by  answering  more  sharply  than  the  occasion 
required,  "  They  don't  understand  the  lessons 
though  half  as  well  as  the  boys  ! " 

The  return  of  the  parents  suppressed  the 
reply  of  Miles,  but  not  his  merry  laugh  at 
his  brother's  expense. 

The  family  of  John  Alden  were  astir  long 
before  the  daylight  appeared.  Ruth  and 
Rachel  had  been  "lively  as  crickets,"  long 
before  a  light  was  brought  for  them  to  dress ; 
while  Miles  had  pestered  out  of  his  brother 
a  disposition  to  take  another  doze,  by  plying 
him  with  all  the  Catechism  questions  he  could 


24       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

think  of.  "I'll  pay  you,  Miles,  for  this," 
he  yawned,  "by  putting  you  through  the 
whole  book  when  I  get  up." 

"It  won't  be  fair,"  retorted  Miles,  "to 
put  me  through  any  thing  but  the  lesson 
we  are  to  say  to  the  minister  on  Saturday 
afternoon." 

"Yes,  the  whole  book,"  persisted  his 
brother.  "When  I  was  twelve  years  old 
I  could  answer  every  question  as  quick  as 
a  hen  can  pick  up  a  kernel  of  corn." 

Miles  received  this  brag  with  a  chuckle. 
"If  he  did  it  at  twelve,  he  ought  to  do  it 
at  fourteen  years  old,"  he  mused.  "  Some- 
time, when  he  gets  deep  into  his  study, 
I'll  come  down  upon  him,  with  questions  in 

the  Catechism,  thick  and  fast  as  hail  stones. 
i 
Carver  will  be  up  with  me  though  if  I  don't 

know  every  answer  in  the  book ;  I  did 
almost,  once." 

"Feeling  his  spirit  stirred  by  these  mus- 
ings, Miles  exclaimed,  aloud,  "Here's  the 


SUNSHINE.  25 

boy — "  he  was  about  to  say,  "Here's  the 
boy  that  can  conquer  it ! "  but  seeing  his 
brother  start  up  with  wonder  at  his  earn- 
estness, he  stopped  suddenly  and  settled 
down  calmly  upon  his  knees  to  offer  his 
morning  prayer.  He  then  went  down  stairs, 
followed  soon  by  his  brother,  and  both  im- 
mediately engaged  cheerfully  in  assisting  their 
parents  ;  the  older  one  in  the  barn  with  the 
father,  and  the  younger  in  the  kitchen. 

At  Alden  Farm,  before  there  were  daugh- 
ters old  enough  to  be  efficient  in  domestic 
work,  the  sons  in  turn,  "helped  mother." 
She  often  had  for  them  "a  tale  of  other 
days,"  which  had  descended  through  .the 
household  circles,  from  the  early  Pioneer 
settlers,  or  a  song  which  equally  well  made 
cheerful  hearts  and  willing  hands.  So  Car- 
ver and  Miles  often  prepared  the  vegetables 
for  the  meals,  sat  the  table,  or  washed  the 
dishes,  with  such  pleasant  beguilement  of 
the  time,  that  they  almost  reluctantly  left 


26        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

the  kitchen  for  the  more  appropriate  boys' 
work  of  the  barn.  There  was  no  degrada- 
tion felt  or  thought  of.  Their  mother's 
presence  made  honorable  the  hour,  and  the 
work. 

On  the  morning  of  which  we  were  speak- 
ing, Miles,  with  his  eight  year  old  sister, 
Ruth,  did  much  of  the  morning  work  of 
the  kitchen.  Rachel,  six  years  old,  was 
full  of  glee,  and  the  three  summers  Jere- 
miah, was  ready  at  every  turn,  with  his 
childish  pranks,  while  the  baby,  Winslow, 
did  all  the  scolding  for  the  family.  He 
was  hungry,  wanted  his  breakfast,  and  would 
have  it,  whether  anybody  else  was  served  or 
not.  In  vain  Jeremiah  chided.  "Naughty, 
naughty  baby !  "  he  said,  solemnly  ;  "  don't 
you  know  mother  is  werry  busy?  Itty  boys 
should  wait." 

But  baby  only  kicked  the  sides  of  the 
cradle  more  spitefully,  and,  if  louder  screams 
meant  anything,  exclaimed,  "I  won't  wait!" 


SUNSHINE.  27 

"Itty  ki-baby,"  said  Jeremiah,  putting  his 
lips  as  near  the  enraged  animal  in  the  cradle 
as  he  dared  to. 

"You  little  Sancho,"  said  Euth,  shaking 
her  fist  at  him. 

Baby's  mother  came  to  the  rescue  at  last, 
the  family  were  permitted  by  his  cradle 
majesty  to  eat  their  breakfast  and  attend  to 
family  devotions  in  peace,  and  Miles  soon 
after  was  told  by  his  mother,  with  one  of 
her  sweetest  smiles,  that  he  might  go. 

"You  may  go,  my  son,"  was  all  that  was 
said.  But  to  Miles,  when  he  looked  into 
her  loving  eyes,  it  meant, — You  have 'done 
your  work  well ;  helped  me  a  great  deal ; 
God  bless  you ! 

There  was  nobody  to  chide  Miles  for  sit- 
ting cosily  beside  the  stove  with  his  book. 
It  was  his  school  book  which  was  first 
studied,  and  kept  in  his  lap.  But  he  slyly 
drew  out  his  Catechism  once  in  a  while,  and 
gave  its  pages  close  attention.  He  was  de- 


28        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

termined  to  surprise  not  only  his  brother 
Carver,  but  his  parents',  by  his  ability  to 
answer  every  question. 

Monday  evening  before  the  Saturday  chil- 
drens'  meeting  at  the  parsonage,  the  Alden 
family  were  around  their  evening  lamps. 
It  was  very  early,  the  twilight  still  linger- 
ing outside.  As  the  breakfast  at  the  farm- 
house was  eaten  long  before  daybreak,  the 
dinner  hour  came  at  twelve,  or  even  earlier, 
and  the  supper  at  five,  or,  not  unfrequently, 
as  on  this  evening,  at  half  past  four.  The 
solemn  stillness  of  dream-land  pervaded  the 
house  at  nine,  unless  the  baby  Winslow  for- 
bade it. 

On  this  occasion,  Ruth  and  Eachel  had  not 
yet  gone  to  their  trundle-bed.  There  was 
little  study,  but  much  merriment,  with  the 
boys  while  they  were  present. 

"Look  here,  Miles!"  said  Carver,  sud- 
denly, as  if  a  bright  thought  had  just  oc- 
curred to  him,  "  next  Saturday  is  the  Gate- 


SUNSHINE.  29 

chisra  day  at  the  parsonage.  I  must  see 
that  you  know  all  your  Catechism.  Stand 
up  now,  hold  up  your  head,  and  speak  so 
as  to  be  heard." 

Miles  reached  out  his  hand  and  seized  the 
Catechism,  with  which  Carver  was  about  to 
proceed,  and  said,  in  a  most  solemn  tone, 
while  he  quoted  the  words  of  his  father,  "It 
don't  stand  to  reason  that  we  should  require 
of  others  what  we  don't  know  ourselves.  I 
will  see  how  well  you  can  answer  the  ques- 
tions." 

Carver  was  fairly  caught,  and  submitted, 
in  imitation  of  his  father's  example,  to  be 
examined,  and  came  out  of  the  trial  remark- 
ably well,  stumbling  on  a  few  answers  only. 

"  T-o-l-e-r-a-b-l-y  well,  my  boy,"  drawled 
out  Miles,  in  imitation  of  the  old  gentleman 
who  taught  the  district  school.  "You  may 
sit  down  and  study  one  hour,  and  you  will 
know  it  perfectly." 

Carver    had   good    sense   and   kind    feeling 


30        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

enough  to  enjoy  the  pleasantry  he  had  him- 
self commenced,  and  he  sat  down  to  his 
hour's  task,  indulging  the  thought  that  his 
turn  would  come  for  fun,  at  the  end  of  the 
hour,  when  he  would  come  down  on  Miles 
"  like  night,"  with  questions  from  the  Cate- 
chism. 

In  the  meantime,  Miles  turned  to  Ruth, 
and  proposed  to  examine  her. 

"It  don't  stand  to  reason  that  you  should 
hear  me  until  I  "hear  you,"  said  Ruth,  pertly, 
catching  up  the  Catechism  and  beginning  to 
ask  him  the  questions.  Carver  enjoyed  this 
hugely,  but  Miles  answered  every  question. 
He  won't  get  along  so  well  when  /  examine 
him,  thought  Carver.  I'll  be  thorough. 

Ruth  went  through  her  assigned  lesson 
promptly,  and  turned  to  Rachel,  who  re- 
peated what  she  had  learned  from  her 
mother's  lips. 

"Now,  Jerry,"  said  Rachel,  turning  to  her 
little  brother,  "I  must  hear  you!" 


SUNSHINE.  31 

"No  !  "  said  Jerry,  thi'owing  back  his  shoul- 
ders, and  putting  on  a  lordly  air  as  he 
lisped,  "'Oo  shan't!  It  don't  stand  weesou." 

The  children  shouted  applause,  clapped 
their  hands,  and  told  Jerry  to  put  Rachel 
through  his  Primer  lesson.  But  he  was 
content  with  having  shaken  his  sister  off, 
and  ran  away  to  the  cradle,  where  baby 
Winslow  lay,  bestowing  his  sweetest  smiles 
upon  all  who  came  near. 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Ruth,  "he  is  going 
to  examine  the  baby  !  " 

All  the  children  started  at  once  for  the 
cradle. 

"  Ask  baby  who  made  him !  "  said  Miles, 
patting  Jerry  coaxingly  on  his  shoulder. 

Jerry  put  his  lips  close  to  Winnie's  face 
and  lisped,  "Who  made  'oo,  Winnie?  .Don't 
'oo  know?  God  made  'oo." 

"  Ask  him  more  !  "  shouted  Rachel,  "  see 
how  knowing  he  looks ! " 

"What  did  he — ''  proceeded  Rachel,  prompt- 
ing Jerry. 


32        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"What  did  he  make  'oo  for,  Minnie?" 
said  Jerry,  reaching  still  further  into  the 
cradle.  "Don't  'oo  know?  He  didn't  make 
'oo  to  ki  and  be  a  naughty  baby.  He  made 
'oo  to  be  good." 

"That  will  do,  children,"  said  Mrs.  Alden, 
waving  the  children  away  with  her  hand. 
"That  is  as  much  as  "VVinslow's  little  brain 
can  bear  to-night." 

Ruth  and  Rachel  were,  in  a  few  moments, 
tucked  away  in  their  cozy  bed ;  Winnie,  ex- 
hausted by  his  great  mental  efforts  in  his 
first  lesson  concerning  God  and  his  duty  to 
him,  followed  his  equally  tired  teacher  to 
the  blessed  sleep-land.  Miles  answered  Car- 
ver's thorough  questioning  so  perfectly,  that 
the  latter,  much  to  his  disappointment,  did 
not  find  occasion  to  require  him  to  review 
the  Catechism.  Quiet  reigned  for  a  while  in 
the  great  kitchen,  except  as  the  old  clock 
in  the  corner  audibly  announced  the  depar- 
ture of  each  precious  moment  as  it  flitted 
past. 


SUNSHINE.  33 

"Patience!"  said  John  Aldeii,  breaking  the 
silence  by  addressing  his  wife  in  an  under- 
tone of  great  tenderness  and  solemnity,  "what 
wonderful  truths  the  Catechism  does  teach. 
I  never  felt  their  importance  as  I  do  now. 
I  think  I  begin  to  have  a  better  understand- 
ing of  them." 

Mrs.  Alden  laid  down  her  work  and  looked 
at  him  serious!}7,  but  with  a  joyful  expres- 
sion, while  her  husband  was  uttering  these 
words.  They  were  the  language  of  her  own 
heart.  "Yes,  John,"  she  replied.  "I  am 
glad  there  is  so  much  of  Christ  in  the  Cate- 
chism ;  there  is  so  much  in  the  Bible  1 " 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alden  then  dropped  into 
a  quiet  conversation  about  these  wonderful 
truths.  The  more  they  talked  about  them 
the  more  their  hearts  glowed  with  the  in- 
ward experience  of  their  wonderful  power. 
"  Isn't  it  wonderful ! "  "How  precious  ! "  were 
frequent  exclamations  from  Mr.  Alden,  to 
which  his  wife  would  add,  "It  .is  just  as  I 

3 


34        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

read  it,  John,  in  the  Word  of  God.  It  is 
Christ  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  He 
is  a  divine  Saviour  !  " 

The  boys  were  attracted  by  this  earnest, 
melting  talk.  The  parents  scarcely  noticed 
the  fact  that  they  had  left  their  end  of  the 
room,  and  taken  seats,  as  deeply  interested 
listeners. 

"Miles!"  said  Carver,  as  they  retired,  "I 
begin  to  like  the  Catechism.  I  used  to  think 
it  was  as  dry  as  a  chip." 

"I  think  I  ought  to  love  it,"  said  Miles, 
seriously.  "How  happy  father  and  mother 
did  get  over  it !  Their  talk  has  helped  me 
to  understand  many  hard  questions.  I  have 
been  afraid  the  minister  would  ask  me  what 
they  meant.  Now  if  lie  docs,  I  can  answer." 

The  visit  to  the  parsonage  was  anticipated 
by  the  children  of  Alden  Farm  with  much 
pleasure. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SHADOWS. 

"Now,  Mr.  Ezekiel  Crone,  I  desire  you 
would  listen  to  me  for  once,"  said  Mr. 
Crone's  wife,  Jcrusha.,  He  knew  this  mode 
of  address  meant  business,  so  he  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  great  kitchen,  in  his  farmer's 
frock,  and  hat  in  hand,  and  listened.  Mrs. 
Crone  took  her  hands  out  of  the  pumpkin 
she  was  pressing  through  a  "cullender"  for 
her  pies,  and  turned  her  resolute  face  toward 
her  meek  looking  husband. 

"Ezekiel,  you  heard  Parson  Curtis  say  that 
on  Saturday,  three  weeks,  the  children  of  the 
parish  are  required  to  be  present  at  the  par- 
sonage to  be  examined  in  the  Catechism?" 

Ezekiel  nodded  assent.  He  certainly  had 
heard  the  notice. 

35 


36        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Well,"  proceeded  Mrs.  Crone,  "our  Zeke 
aud  Tom  ought  and  shall  go." 

Mr.  Crone  was  passive  under  this  decla- 
ration, but  his  wife  added  a  spur  to  his  in- 
decision. "It's  a  shame,  Ezekiel,  that  our 
children,  members  as  we  are  of  the  church, 
know  nothing  about  that  important  little 
book !  Mercy  knows  it's  not  my  fault,  for 
I  have  scolded  enough  about  it." 

Ezekiel  gave  a  slight  nod  of  assent  to 
this,  and  his  wife  thus  encouraged,  contin- 
ued, "When  I  was  a  girl  I  could  repeat  the 
answers  to  more'n  half  the  questions,  right 
off."  After  this  self-satisfying  remark,  Mrs. 
Crone  dropped  her  voice  into  a  softened  tone 
and  asked,  "Ezekiel,  could  you  ever  do  as 
well  as  that?" 

Her  husband  had  an  indistinct  recollection 
of  having  tried  once  to  get  a  lesson  in  the 
Catechism,  but  he  thought  it  quite  unreason- 
able for  any  one  to  expect  him  to  know 
anything  about  it  now.  To  this  his  wife 


.  SHADOWS.  37 

assented,  saying,  "It  don't  stand  to  reason 
that  we  should  know  the  Catechism.  The 
parson  won't  examine  us  neither.  But  the 
boys  shall  learn  it." 

Ezekiel  nodded  assent,  and  his  wife  turned 
to  her  pumpkin  pie  making.  She  hustled 
the  small  children,  Jane  and  Betsey,  a  little 
more  roughly  than  ever,  and  sharply  prompted 
the  boys  in  their  chore  business. 

"Don't  you  think,  Tom,"  said  Zeke,  "that 
there's  a  storm  brewing?" 

Tom  turned  his  eye  up  to  the  stars  which 
sparkled  with  unusual  brilliancy  in  the  clear, 
cold  atmosphere,  and  replied,  "No,  Zeke, 
there's  not  a  cloud  to  be  seen." 

"I  jnean  in  the  kitchen,"  said  his  brother, 
smiling  softly. 

"I  hope  not,"  said  Tom,  "for  if  it  comes, 
it  will  be  sure  to  blow  my  school  lesson 
away.  I  am  most  up  to  the  head  of  my 
class  for  once,  and  I  am  determined  to  show 
the  boys  that  a  Crone  can  do  something. 


38        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Bill  Short  did  vex  me  awfully  this  afternoon 
at  recess.  He  saw  I  was  getting  ahead  a 
little,  and  he  shouted,  '"We  shall  see  white 
black-birds  after  you  get  to  the  head.'" 

"That's  it,"  said  Zeke.  "There's  always 
something  at  school  or  at  home  to  trip  us 
up,  when  we  try  to  do  anything.  I  do  wish 
I  could  live  one  winter  at  Alden  Farm.  I 
kind  of  feel  I  should  learn  the  secret  of  good 
luck." 

"  "Well,"  replied  Tom,  a  sudden  and  un- 
usual inspiration  coming  over  him,  "Here's 
study  this  evening.  I'll  make  luck  at  Crone's 
Corner." 

The  boys  went  writh  these  feelings  and  took 
their  usual  place  on  blocks  in  one  corner  of 
the  kitchen  fire-place.  Their  sisters  were 
seated  in  the  other  corner.  The  parents  sat 
near  the  middle  of  the  room,  at  the  large 
stand,  on  which  blazed  the  tallow  caudles. 
The  girls  were  playing  "puzzle"  with  a  slate, 
and  for  once,  peace  and  happiness  reigned 
supreme  in  the  household. 


SHADOWS.  39 

"How  Zeke  and  Tom  do  study,"  whispered 
Jane  to  her  sister.  "What  is  a-going  to 
happen  ?  " 

"I'll  tell  you,"  replied  Betsey,  "they  are 
a-going  to  be  somebody  in  school.  That's 
what's  the  matter  ! " 

Just  at  this  state  of  affairs,  Mrs.  Crone 
suddenly  thought  of  the  Catechism. 

"  Jane  ! "  she  said,  sharply,  "  did  you  get 
the  Catechisms  I  sent  you  for  to  the  par- 
son's? Not  one  could  I  find  in  this  house. 
There's  never  anything  here  when  you  want 
it." 

Jane  went  to  her  satchel  and  brought  the 
desired  books. 

"Come  here,  Zeke  and  Tom,"  she  said,  in 
a.  tone  which  implied  either  a  duty  neglected, 
or  one  to  be  required  against  which  she  ex- 
pected a  rebellion  that  she  was  prepared  to 
put  down  by  the  force  of  arms,  if  necessary. 
The  boys  came  forward  like  dogs  to  the 
master's  lash,  and  the  mother  opened  the 


40        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

books,  gave  one  to  each,  saying,  "There, 
boys,  get  sixteen  pages  of  these  answers ; 
and  don't  you  let  me  see  any  other  book 
in  your  hands  until  you  can  say  every  word. 
Do  you  hear  ?  " 

Tom  timidly  suggested  that  he  should  lose 
his  place  at  school  if  he  did  not  get  the 
lesson  to  be  recited  in  the  morning,  and  that 
he  would  get  the  Catechism  afterwards. 

"There,  now,"  shouted  the  mother,  "don't 
talk  to  me  about  losing  your  place ;  you're 
at  the  foot  now,  I'll  warrant,  where  my  chil- 
dren always  are." 

Jane  started  to  her  feet  when  she  saw 
Tom's  disappointed  looks,  and  was  about  to 
say,  "Tom  is  most  to  the  head!"  when  her 
mother's  foot  came  down  with  emphasis,  as 
she  said,  in  a  harsh,  commanding  tone,  "Not 
another  word  from  any  of  you !  Do  as  I 
bid  you ! " 

The  children  obeyed  doggedly.  The  mother 
resumed  her  work,  muttering,  "Strange  that 


SHADOWS.  41 

my  children  always  will  compel  me  to  scold 
before  they  do  as  I  bid  them.  They  never 
do  miud  the  first  time  they  are  spoken  to." 

While  Mrs.  Crone  was  thus  attending  to 
the  religious  instruction  of  the  children,  Mr. 
Crone  was  humming  a  time  and  dividing  his 
attention  between  the  Farmer's  Almanac  and 
the  milk  score  of  some  poor  neighbors. 

"I  do  wish  you'd  be  still  your  buzzing, 
Mr.  Crone ;  seems  as  if,  between  the  chil- 
dren's fussing  and  your  everlasting  hum,  I 
should  go  distracted." 

Mr.  Crone  laid  down  his  Almanac,  folded 
his  hands  in  moody  silence.  His  clouded 
brow  gave  intimations  that  he  might  not  con- 
tinue perfectly  amiable.  The  boys,  thinking 
the  storm  was  diverted  from  them,  began  to 
whisper  together.  Tom  looked  up  the  chim- 
ney to  the  bright  stars,  which  seemed  to 
look  lovingly  down  upon  him  as  if  they 
would  soothe  his  wounded  spirits. 

"I  wish,"  he  said   to   Zeke,    in   an   under- 


42        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

tone, — "I  wish  I  was  up  among  the  stars. 
It  must  be  warm  up  there,  for  our  fire 
alwaj'S  sends  its  heat  that  way ! " 

"Xobody  from  this  house  will  ever  get 
so  high,"  responded  Zeke,  bitterly. 

"  There,  now,  take  tliat^  and  attend  to  your 
Catechism,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Crone,  coming 
suddenly  upon  the  boys,  as  they  were  off 
their  guard,  and  giving  each  a  rousing  box 
on  the  ear.  "You  think  to  whine  round, 
by  and  by,  and  say  you  c-a-n-t  g-e-t  i-t ! 
I'll  teach  you  that  I'm  to  be  obeyed ! " 

The  boys  broke  into  an  uncontrolable  sob- 
bing from  mingled  grief  and  vexation,  and 
the  girls  began  to  cry  from  sympathy  with 
their  brothers. 

"Jane,"  said  Mrs.  Crone,  "take  the  can- 
dle, and  do  you  and  Betsey  go  to  bed  this 
minute,  and  let  me  hear  no  more  from  you 
to-night." 

The  girls  went  crying  to  bed,  without  any 
of  the  "Good  night,  mother,  good  night, 


SHADOWS.  43 

all,"  or  other  sweet  farewells,  which  make 
the  departure  of  children  to  their  slumbers 
like  a  pleasant  song.  Zeke  and  Tom  con- 
tinued a  nervous  sobbing,  which  their  mother 
endeavored  in  vain  to  suppress.  Worried 
out  at  last  she  drove  them  both  to  bed.  No 
prayers  were  offered  at  their  bed-side  that 
night,  but  many  muttered  complaints,  which 
gave  evidence  that  they  had  been  provoked 
to  wrath,  and  were  discouraged. 

When  the  parents  were  alone,  Mr.  Crone 
remarked,  with  firmness,  "  Jerusha,  you  are 
too  harsh  with  the  children.  You  do  them 
more  hurt  than  good  !  " 

"There,  Ezekiel,  that's  just  the  way,  if 
ever  I  try  to  do  my  duty  to  the  children ! " 
said  Mrs.  Crone,  bursting  into  tears.  Her 
loud  sobbing  prevented  any  further  remark, 
except  as  she  sobbed  in  broken  sentences,  * 
"I  never  will  try  to  do  anything  for  them" — 
"I'm  always  blamed"  — "I'll  let  it  all  go"  — 
"I  don't  care  if  they  never  know  a  word 


44        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

of  the  Catechism"  — "I'll  tell  everybody  I 
have  done  my  duty !  " 

So  the  parents  followed  the  children  to 
bed,  under  the  same  dark  cloud  which  had 
made  the  night  hideous  to  the  whole  house- 
hold. 

A  sullen  silence  reigned  in  the  family 
during  the  morning  hours.  The  dog,  as  he 
looked  in  the  faces  of  its  members,  skulked 
away  under  the  settle,  with  drooping  ears 
and  tail,  desiring  but  not  daring  to  ask  for 
his  morning  meal.  The  breakfast  was  swal- 
lowed, but  not  eaten.  The  family  prayers 
•were  said,  but  not  offered  with  the  "heart's 
adoration."  The  old  kitchen  was  like  the 
deck  of  a  vessel,  which  had  been  struck  by 
the  first  gust  of  a  tempest  of  drenching  rain 
and  terrific  thunder,  whose  sailors  waited  in 
silence  another  shock.  The  boys  went  mop- 
ing and  crest-fallen  to  school,  to  fail  in  their 
lessons,  go  to  the  foot  of  their  classes,  and 
be  taunted  with  belonging  to  "Crone's  Cor- 


SHADOWS.  45 

ner."  Mrs.  Crone  tossed  the  Catechisms  into 
a  dusty  corner  of  the  book-case,  and  for  a 
week  no  reference  was  made  to  them  by 
either  parents  or  children.  The  boys  were 
permitted  to  spend  their  evenings  as  they 
pleased,  and,  as  their  ambition  for  the  school 
lessons  was  very  low,  time  hung  heavily  on 
their  hands.  At  the  end  of  the  week,  under 
the  promptings  of  Mr.  Crone,  the  Catechisms 
were  taken  from  the  shelf  and  sleepily 
studied  for  a  few  evenings,  when  the  old 
kitchen  witnessed  another  gale.  The  wind 
blew  this  time  from  another  quarter,  but  the 
desolate  track  which  it  left  was  equally 
marked. 

"  Mr.  Crone  ! "  said  his  wife,  one  evening, 
breaking  the  painful  silence  which  reigned  in 
the  family  circle,  by  an  equally  painful  tone 

• 

of  voice. 

Mr.  Crone  raised  his  eyes  from  his  score- 
book  with  an  expression  of  indifference  to 
whatever  might  be  said. 


46       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Mr.  Crone,"  continued  the  wife,  "do  you 
know  that  I  am  working  myself  almost  to 
death,  while  these  lazy  boys  are  hanging 
about  the  house,  doing  nothing  half  of  the 
time?" 

"  You  get  some  help  from  Jane,"  sug- 
gested Mr.  Crone. 

"Jane!"  replied  Mrs.  Crone,  with  an  ex- 
pressive sneer;  "a  child  "but  nine  years  old, 
and  feeble  thing  too,  as  you  know.  There's 
Alden's  boys,  they  do  all  his  wife's  work, 
I'm  told,  while  she  plays  the  lady.  My 
boys  are  none  too  good  to  help  their  mother, 
and  they  shall  do  it." 

Mrs.  Crone  now  "pitched  in"  to  the  boys, 
assigning  to  Zeke,  the  older  son,  certain  days 
in  which  he  was  to  scrub  the  floor,  and  to 
Tom  his  time  and  turn  in  helping  Jane  wash 
the  dishes. 

The  spirit  of  this  requirement,  more  than 
the  work^  to  be  done,  came  in  contact  with 
what  little  religious  benefit  the  boys  were 


SHADOWS.  47 

getting  from  the  Catechism.  They  obeyed 
the  distasteful  command,  for,  as  they  said, 
"While  mother's  temper  is  up,  it  won't  an- 
swer not  to  mind."  But  there  is  an  obe- 
dience by  children,  which,  in  its  spirit  and 
manner,  is  the  most  sinful  kind  of  dis- 
obedience. So  it  was  in  this  case.  Tom's 
hands,  in  washing  the  dishes,  so  sympa- 
thized with  his  unwilling  heart,  that  he  often 
dropped  and  broke  them.  His  eyes  too 
came  in  for  a  part  in  the  plot  against  the 
right  performance  of  the  task,  and  refused 
to  see  the  dirt  upon  the  plates  which  should 
have  been  washed  off. 

Zeke  declared  that  when  he  would  do 
right,  blunders  were  present  with  him.  He 
upset  pails  of  water  most  unfortunately  for 
the  advancement  of  the  cleaning.  There 
were  no  songs  in  this  night  of  the  chil- 
dren's trouble,  and  no  stories  to  beguile  the 
slowly  moving  time.  The  spirit  of  bitter 
words  were  not  applied  to  the  tedious  mo- 


48        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

ments,  but  to  the  burdens  of  the  heart,  and 
increased  them. 

The  boys  who  came  to  invite  the  young 
Crones  to  play  with  them,  learned  how  they 
were  employed,  and  taunted  them,  by  call- 
ing them  "girl-boys,"  and  "old  grannies." 
Some  boys  are  like,  wolves;  if  one  of  their 
companions  is  faint  or  lame,  they  full  upon 
and  devour  him.  This  was  adding  insult 
to  injury,  and  Zeke  and  Tom,  "pitched  in," 
as  boys  now-a-days  say,  and  a  fight  was 
the  consequence,  which,  of  course,  resulted 
in  an  increase  of  the  bad  reputation  of  the 
boys  of  Crone's  Corner. 

There  soon  came  an  evening  when  the 
wayward  working  of  the  children  was  too 
much  for  the  endurance  of  the  mother.  She 
drove  them  both  from  the  room,  saying, 
"  There,  go !  and  don't  you  ever  let  me 
see  you  put  your  finger  to  anything  in  the 
kitchen  again." 

She  returned  to   her   work,    muttering   de- 


SHADOWS.  49 

spending  words  about  her  bad  luck.  "I 
might  have  known,"  she  said,  "that  /should 
have  got  no  help.  There's  Alden's  wife ! 
Oh,  yes,  she  need  only  lift  her  finger  and 
there's  a  plenty  to  serve ;  but  I  must  drudge 
forever !  "  Mrs.  Crone  found  relief  to  her 
wounded  feelings  in  tears. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CHILDREN'S  MEETING. 

IT  was  a  clear,  cold,  -winter  day,  on  which 
the  children  of  the  parish  of  the  Rev.  Charles 
Curtis  were  to  repair  to  the  parsonage  to  re- 
cite the  lessons  of  the  Catechism,  and  to 
receive  his  promptings  in  understanding  the 
way  of  salvation.  The  icy  pearls  on  the 
trees  and  shrubs  sparkled  in  the  rays  of  the 
unclouded  sun,  and  the  sleigh  runners  creaked 
over  the  frosty  snow.  The  girls,  in  their 
homespun  dresses,  with  work-bags  on  their 
arms,  and  mittens  on  their  hands  of  the 
grandmother  pattern,  whose  ruddy  faces  were 
nearly  hid  in  their  warm  hoods,  looked  as 
lovely,  we  doubt  not,  in  the  eyes  of  affec- 
tionate parents,  and  as  bewitching  in  the  es- 

50 


THE  CIIILDKEN'S  MEETING.  51 

timation  of  the  boys,  as  any  modern-dressed 
misses.  As  to  the  boys,  a  farmer's  frock, 
clean  and  warm,  heavy  cowhide  boots,  a 
strong  arm,  an  honest  and  intelligent  face, 
and  hearts  ever  ready  to  dare  and  to  do  in 
the  path  of  duty,  made  up  the  features  of 
manly  beauty  which  only  fools  despise. 

Alden  Farm  was  represented  by  five  chil- 
dren,—  Ruth,  who  was  prompt  in  the  assur- 
ance of  ten  pages  of  the  Catechism ;  and 
Rachel,  who  could  answer  the  questions  of 
six  pages ;  and  little  Jeremiah,  who  hugged 
his  Primer  as  he  trudged  bravely  behind  his 
sisters,  his  heart  swelling  with  an  honest 
pride  at  the  thought  of  what  he  could  do ; 
and,  leading  these  three,  Carver  and  Miles, 
who  felt  that  they  could  "run  through  a 
troop  or  leap  over  a  wall."  A  stranger, 
looking  into  the  faces  of  this  group  of  chil- 
dren, would  see  at  a  glance,  an  expression 
of  real  satisfaction  in  the  expected  meeting. 

"  Hurrah,  Miles !  "  shouted  Carver,  as  they 


52        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

approached  the  parsonage,  "there's  Squire 
True's  sleigh  in  the  yard !  yes,  and  Deacon 
Turner's  too !  Won't  it  be  a  good  time ! " 

"I  wonder,  now,"  replied  Miles,  dryly,  "if 
the  Squire  and  the  deacon  know  the  Cate- 
chism !  Let's  examine  them,  Carver !  I 
guess  father  and  mother  can  beat  both  of 
them." 

The  children  laughed  at  'their  brother's 
pleasantry.  Jeremiah  pulled  Miles'  coat,  and 
looking  innocently  into  his  face,  asked,  "Will 
'oo  ask  'em  real  hard  questions?" 

Rachel  said  that  they  were  real  good  men, 
and  she  was  glad  they  were  at  the  children's 
meeting. 

The  children  of  Alden  Farm  walked  into 
the  ample  kitchen  of  the  parsonage,  with  a 
quiet  self-possession  which  wreathed  their 
faces  with  smiles,  and  made  the  faces  of  all 
about  them  look  pleasant.  Jerry  immediately 
made  the  acquaintance  of  the  dog,  which  was 
watching  with  curious  eyes  the  unusual  stir, 


THE  CHILDREN'S  MEETING.  53 

from  his  position  under  his  masters  great 
arm-chair.  He  was  decidedly  pleased  to  be 
noticed,  and  the  two  were  soon  very  "thick." 

"In  good  season,  children,"  said  the  pas- 
tor, as  he  passed  hastily  through  the  kitchen, 
to  usher  in  other  company.  "In  good  sea- 
son, just  as  the  Alden  Farm  people  are  at 
church." 

Let  us  leave  this  happy  company,  and  look 
down  the  road  toward  Crone's  Corner.  Two 
boys  are  creeping  along  at  a  snail's  pace. 
They  stop  once  in  a  while,  as  if  in  debate 
whether  to  come  on  or  to  return.  There  is 
no  particular  fault  in  their  personal  appear- 
ance. Their  mother,  Mrs.  Crone,  is,  as  we 
have  seen,  a  hard  working  woman,  and  has 
both  energy  and  good  sense  in  providing 
her  childen's  clothes.  So  Zeke  and  Tom, 
who  arc  the  boys  whom  we  sec  down  the 
road,  are  not  feeling  "put  down"  by  not 
being  dressed  as  well  as  most  others.  Their 
mother  has  driven  them  out  to  the  parson- 


54       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

age  gathering,  to  show  that  she  has  done  her 
duty,  even  if  they  do,  when  there,  "make 
fools  of  themselves."  "We  have  seen  the  train- 
ing for  the  occasion  which  they  have  had,  so 
they  drag  themselves  reluctantly  towards  the 
parsonage,  as  a  sick  and  over-burdened  la- 
borer, goaded  by  the  necessities  of  a  starv- 
ing family,  returns  to  his  daily  task. 

•  As  they  approached  the  yard,  Zeke  ex- 
claimed with  a  rueful  couutenace,  "Tom, 
Squire  True  and  Deacon  Turner  are  there ! 
See,  there's  their  sleigh  ! " 

"I  won't  go!"  exclaimed  Tom,  bursting 
into  tears.  "I  guess  I  won't  make  a  fool 
of  myself  before  all  the  parish,  if  mother 
don't  care!" 

Both  boys  paused  again,  to  renew  their 
courage,  as  a  panting  horse  does  his  strength, 
by  "stopping  to  blow."  Slowly  they  entered 
the  yard,  and  stood  partly  hid  by  a  wood- 
pile, watching  the  happy  troop  of  children 
as  they  filed  in.  Tom  kicked  the  snow  with 


THE  CHILDREN'S  MEETING.  55 

his  boot,  mostly  eyeing,  in  a  listless  man- 
ner, the  chips  and  dirt  which  he  turned  up 
from  beneath. 

"  See ! "  said  Parson  Curtis,  looking  from 
the  window,  "there  stand  the  Crone  children. 
Why  don't  they  come  in?" 

"Poor  fellows!"  said  Deacon  Turner,  seiz- 
ing his  hat  and  going  to  the  door. 

"Boys,"  said  the  deacon,  in  a  kind  tone, 
"we  are  glad  to  see  you.  You  are  a  little 
bashful,  I  see.  No  bad  sign  either,  in  these 
days  when  so  many  young  folks  are  older 
and  bolder  than  their  parents.  Come,  your 
pastor  will  be  glad  to  see  you." 

The  boys  followed  him  into  the  house  with 
a  confidence  which  surprised  themselves. 

"This  way,  Ezekiel  and  Thomas,"  said  the 
pastor,  pointing  to  two  chairs  which  he  had 
set  for  them  in  a  corner,  where  they  would 
least  feel  the  presence  of  the  company.  "  A 
little  timid,  I  see,"  he  whispered,  smiling  as 
they  sat  down.  "But  that  is  a  fault  which 
the  children  lose  in  my  great  kitchen." 


56       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"It's  a  fact,  Tom,"  said  Zeke,  in  a  low 
tone.  "I'm  losing  my  scare!" 

Zeke  fairly  straightened  up  in  his  chair, 
as  he  said  this,  and  even  Tom  looked  square- 
ly into  his  pastor's  face  as  he  began  to  speak 
a  word  of  welcome  to  all ;  seeing  only  kind- 
ness expressed  there,  he  ventured  to  turn  his 
eyes  to  the  faces  of  Squire  True  and  Dea- 
con Turner.  The  light  of  Christian  love 
which  beamed  from  them,  fell  upon  the  dis- 
heartened boy  as  sunbeams  fall  on  the  droop- 
ing flower.  His  own  countenance  began  to 
reflect  the  good  feeling  which  pervaded  the 
company. 

After  a  prayer  by  Parson  Curtis,  and  a 
song  by  all,  the  recitations  commenced,  the 
entire  knowledge  of  the  Catechism  of  each 
one  being  thoroughly  but  kindly  drawn  out. 
Whether  by  accident  or  design,  no  one  knew; 
but  the  Alden  Farm  children  were  the  first 
who  were  called  out.  Seeing  that  they  an- 
swered the  questions  so  promptly,  the  pastor 


THE  CHILDREN'S  MEETING.  57 

proposed  a  few  questions  concerning  the 
meaning  of  the  great  truths  taught. 

"It's  wonderful  that  those  children  under- 
stand such  things  so  well ! "  whispered  the 
deacon  to  Squire  True. 

"Not  at  all  wonderful,  deacon,"  replied 
the  squire.  "Don't  you  see  John  and  Pa- 
tience Alden  in  the  eyes  of  their  children  — 
I  mean  the  religious  spirit  of  the  parents 
beaming  in  their  children's  countenances  ? " 

The   deacon   nodded   assent. 

"What  a  stupid  show  we  shall  make, 
Tom,"  whispered  Zeke,  the  old  discourage- 
ment coming  over  him. 

"Let's   creep   out,"   replied  Tom. 

But  the  sober,  second  thought,  held  them 
in  their  seats.  The  examination  went  on, 
and  the  Crones  began  to  breathe  more  freely. 

"Zeke,"  said  Tom,  looking  several  inches 
taller  than  he  had  done  since  the  reciting 
commenced,  "I  can  do  as  well  as  that!" 

A   boy   of  Tom's   age  had  just   sat   down. 


58        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Partly  from  a  neglect  of  his  lesson,  and 
partly  through  bashfuluess,  he  blundered 
badly.  But  somehow,  none  of  the  children 
knew  exactly  how,  their  minister  made  every 
blunderer  feel  ashamed  of  present  deficiency, 
and  a-  secret  resolution  to  do  better  next 
time,  without  exciting  discouragement  or  ill- 
feeling.  When  he  came  to  the  Crones,  this 
wisdom  and  tact  seemed  to  be  in  its  fullest 
exercise.  They  both  saw  and  felt  their  great 
deficiency,  but  there  was  no  bitterness  at- 
tending the  feeling. 

"  What  surprising  success  our  minister  has 
on  these  occasions  ! "  said  Squire  True,  in  an 
under-tone.  "What  can  be  the  secret  of  it, 
deacon  ?  " 

"It's  the  Christ-spirit  in  him,"  said  the  dea- 
con warmly i  "He  does  so  love  the  children!" 

When  the  examination  was  over,  and  the 
deacon  and  squire  had  added  words  in  full 
sympathy  with  those  of  their  pastor,  and 
God's  blessing  had  been  asked,  to  rest  upon 


THE  CHILDREN'S  MEETING.  59 

all  the  lambs  of  the  flock,  an  hour  of  social 
interview  was  spent.  Apples  were  .passed 
round  among  the  children,  and  restraint  and 
stiffness  disappeared.  The  pastor's  wife,  and 
his  daughter,  Miss  Jane  Curtis,  about  fifteen 
years  old,  were  in  every  part  of  the  com- 
pany, in  turn,  carrying  good  words  to  all. 
The  deacon  and  the  squire  were  young  in 
heart.  For  the  time  every  child  seemed  as 
one  of  their  own  family.  They  proved, 
as  the  inner  life  of  thousands  of  our  Puritan 
fathers  has  proved,  that  the  sourness  of 
spirit  sometimes  attributed  to  them,  is  sim- 
ply a  slander.  These  two  Puritans  were  like 
most  others,  stern  and  exacting  in  what  they 
deemed  great  principles,  but  genial  and  lov- 
ing in  their  social  relations. 

Ezekiel  and  Thomas  Crone  came  out  of 
their  corner,  early  in  the  social  interview. 
They  ate  their  share  of  the  apples,  did  a 
full  part  in  the  talking,  and  more  than  their 
part  in  the  laughing.  They  were,  in  fact, 
happy  beyond  any  former  experience. 


60       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Tom,"  exclaimed  Zeke,  as  soon  as  they 
were  on  the  way  home,  "we  have  had  a 
good  time ! " 

"Young  man  ! — Mr.  Ezekiel  Crone,  I  mean," 
replied  Tom,  stopping  and  drawing  himself 
up  to  his  full  height,  "we  have  had  a  splen- 
did time." 

"I'll  bet,"  replied  Zeke,  "that  I'll  know 
every  word  in  that  big  little  book,  next 
time!" 

Tom  did  not  hear  this  last  declaration, 
but  it  expressed  his  own  purpose ;  he  had 
.started  for  home  .in  a  full  run.  The  boys 
reached  Crone's  Corner,  out  of  breath  with 
running,  and  in  fine  spirits.  They  spoke 
of  the  visit  to  the  parsonage  in  glowing  lan- 
guage, "Why,"  said  Zeke,  "Deacon  Turner 
and  Squire  True  talked  more  with  us  than 
they  did  with  any  of  the  boys ;  they  were 
most  as  good  as  our  minister ;  and  Miss 
Jane  told  us  that  her  father  and  all  her 
folks  would  have  been  real  disappointed  if 
we  had  not  come." 


THE  CHILDREN'S  MEETING.  61 

Sunshine  prevailed  for  a  while  even  in  the 
kitchen  of  the  Crones.  Kind  words  and 
deeds  at  the  parsonage  had  given  them  an 
almost  unexperienced  inspiration  towards  good 
luck.  The  boys  once  more  pored  over  their 
school  books,  and  studied  slyly,  but  diligent- 
ly, their  Catechisms.  When  their  mother 
saw  the  favorable  change,  she  remarked  to 
her  husband,  complacently,  "Ezekiel,  I  am 
glad  I  persevered  and  did  my  duty  to  the 
children  about  the  Catechism.  You  see  what 
the  result  is." 

Her  husband  looked  provokingly  stupid, 
as'  if  he  did  not  quite  see  the  point,  while 
Mrs.  Crone  proceeded,  "If  our  minister  knew 
how  hard  I  worked  to  bring  about  the  in- 
terest in  religious  things  he  must  see  in  our 
boys,  and  he  knew  too,  how  little  help  I 
had  from  anybody,  he  would  give  me  more 
credit  than  he  does  now." 

Mr.  Crone  remained  an  unappreciative 
listener  to  these  delicate  claims,  and  she 


62        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

dropped  the  subject  by  remarking,  quite  as 
much  to  herself  as  to  her  husband,  "It  would 
be  entirely  too  much  good  luck  for  me  to 
have  any  good  done  in  my  family,  and  to 
get  the  credit  of  it  too." 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   RAISING. 

WE  must  pass  in  silence  other  important 
events  of  "the  Farm,"  and  of  "the  Corner," 
which  occurred  during  the  winter  of  which 
we  have  been  speaking. 

An  event  of  interest  took  place  at  Crone's 
Corner  in  the  early  part  of  the  following 
summer.  The  crops  were  well  started.  The 
mowing  had  not  commenced.  Ezckiel  Crone 
had  been  hard  at  work  during  the  winter. 
He  was,  it  must  be  remembered,  a  hard- 
working, honest  man ;  and  his  wife,  let  it 
not  be  forgotten,  was  a  woman  of  industry 
and  management.  Well,  Ezekiel  had  at- 
tended, during  the  winter,  with  such  help 
as  ho  received  from  his  boys,  to  all  the 

63 


C4        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

barn  work ;  cut  and  brought  to  the  door 
a  large  supply  of  wood  for  the  summer ; 
carried  out  manure  upon  his  grass  land ; 
and  had  cut,  hewn  and  framed  the  material 
for  an  addition  to  his  barn.  During  the 
spring,  as  other  work  allowed,  he  had  drawn 
to  the  saw-mill  logs  to  be  sawed  into  boards 
for  the  floors  and  covering.  "  A  raising ! " 
was  already  whispered  among  the  young  peo- 
ple of  the  town,  while  the  logs  lay  waiting 
their  turn  at  the  saw-mill.  George  Parsons, 
the  kind-hearted  man  who  tended  the  saw, 
spoke  a  good  word  for  Ezekiel  to  all  comers. 

" Neighbors,"  he  would  say,  "Ezekiel  isn't 
as  thrifty  as  some,  but  he  has  got  together, 
by  hard  work,  a  fairish  kind  of  addition  for 
his  barn.  Come  to  the  raising  and  give  him 
a  lift." 

"We  must  go  to  Zeke's  raising,"  said  the 
loungers  about  the  tavern  and  grocery  store. 
"He's  not  one  of  your  mean  fellows.  He 
will  have  plenty  of  good  liquors." 


THE   RAISING.  65 

"  We  must  help  Brother  Crone,"  remarked 
Deacon  Turner,  as  he  passed  the  Corner 
one  day,  and  observed  the  increasing  piles 
of  lumber.  "He  does  seem  to  have  a  large 
number  of  head  flaws  in  life.  Some  men 
seem  to  be  born  to  it.  I  must  be  at  the 
raising." 

"Now,  Ezekiel,"  said  Mrs.  Crone,  the  day 
before  the  raising  was  to  come  off,  "the 
men  who  came  to  our  last  raising  made  a 
great  noise  about  my  premises,  and  made 
me  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  I  do  believe 
I  worked  harder  in  getting  them  lunches, 
than  any  man  at  the  building.  You  know 
that  I  am  willing  to  work  just  as  hard  again 
as  you  do,  but  as  to  doing  all  the  treating, 
I  shan't  do  it." 

"I  have  engaged  a  good  supply  of  rum," 
said  Ezekiel,  quietly. 

"Well,  I  do  desire  yo'u  wouldn't  be  mean 
with  it,  for  the  Crones  must  supply  double 
to  what  rich  folks  would,  in  order  to  satisfy 

5 


66        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

people.  The  mercy  knows  I  hope  nobody 
•will  take  too  much,  but  our  building  will 
never  go  up  without  a  good  supply." 

"That's   what  I  think,"   said   Mr.    Crone. 

"And  you  can  sweep  a  clean  place  in  the 
barn,  make  a  table  of  some  of  yonr  new, 
clean  boards,  and  put  the  drink  and  bread 
and  cheese  upon  it.  It  will  be  handy,  and 
everybody  shall  have  all  they  want,  and 
not  plague  me  in  my  kitchen.  If  the  men 
do  come  bothering  round  they'll  learn  that 
Jerusha  Crone  knows  how  to  teach  'em  man- 
ners." 

"You  will  have  a  pot  of  coffee  ready  for 
those  who  prefer  it,"  suggested  Ezekiel. 

"Not  I!"  replied  Mrs.  Crone,  decidedly. 
"Nobody  but  an  old  Betty  wants  coffee  on 
such  an  occasion.  The  men  will  have  plenty 
of  rum,  and  that's  enough.  You  are  always 
planning  to  make  work  for  me." 

Ezekiel  said  no  more.  The  clean  place  in 
the  barn  was  prepared.  The  table  was  spread 


THE  EAISING.  67 

with  an  abundance  of  fresh  bread  and  "good 
old  cheese."  To  the  credit  of  Mrs.  Crone, 
it  ought  to  be  said,  that  her  bread  was  ex- 
celled by  that  of  no  wife  in  town ;  and  to 
the  discredit  of  the  age,  it  may  be  stated 
that  the  liquor,  which,  as  Mr.  Crone  had 

^ 

promised,  was  also  abundant,  was  the  vilest 
of  drinks,  though  in  this  respect,  it  is  no 
doubt  far  excelled  by  the  poisonous  com- 
pounds of  our  present  liquor  shops* 

The  day  of  raising  came.  Neighbors  and 
towns-people  were  not  backward  in  the  cus- 
tomary good  will  offering  of  their  services. 
The  Crones  had  no  reason  to  complain  that 
the  people  turned  their  backs  on  their  ne- 
cessities.. It  being  Saturday,  the  children 
were  also  present  in  great  numbers. 

"We'll  have  to  wet  a  little  before  this  hard 
work  begins,"  said  a  stout  young  man  of  28 
years. 

"Zeke's  none  of  your  mean  fellows,"  said 
another,  as  a  generous  glass  of  rum  went  to 
his  mouth. 


68        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

The  barn  table,  at  least  the  end  support- 
ing the  drink,  was  thus  well  visited  before 
the  work  commenced. 

"Men,"  said  Squire  True,  as  he  held  up 
an  exceedingly  moderate  glass  of  liquor  in 
the  sight  of  the  crowd,  "I  hope  no  man  will 
take  too  much  to-day.  It  is  a  shame  to 
do  so.  Yes,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  it  is 
a  great  sin.  The  good  things  of  God  should 
not  be  nbused." 

Having  delivered  this  temperance  speech, 
the  squire  swallowed  his  moderate  glass  of 
rum. 

The  deacon  —  Deacon  Turner  —  then  gave 
his  solemn  warning  against  drunkenness,  and 
wound  up  by  taking  a  very  moderate  glass. 
Neither  the  squire  nor  the  deacon  touched 
another  drop  while  at  the  Corner.  They  had 
come  mainly  to  give  the  occasion  the  moral 
benefit  of  their  example,  and  to  show  their 
good  will  towards  Mr.  Crone.  They  were 
ready  also  to  see  that  the  carpenter's  orders 
were  carried  out  by  the  men. 


THE    RAISING.  69 

Frames  in  these  days  were  substantial  af- 
fairs. They  did  not  consist,  as  now,  in 
pieces  of  lumber  which  two  men  may  take 
up  easily,  and  with  the  assistance  of^,  third 
one,  put  into  almost  any  part  of  a  first  class 
house.  Mechanical  aid  was  almost  unknown. 
Heavy  timbers  went  into  their  places  by  the 
power  of  muscles.  But  this  was  not  the 
worst  of  the  bad  management  of  the  build- 
ers. It  was  thought  necessary  to  put  a  sec- 
tion of  a  frame  together,  and  thus  to  lift  it 
into  its  place.  Long  and  heavy  poles  were 
used  with  an  iron  point.  When  the  frame 
was  lifted  from  the  floor,  these,  handled  by 
as  many  men  as  could  get  hold,  were  braced 
against  it,  and  with  vociferous  .  shouting,  the 
side  of  the  building  was  lifted  into  its  place. 
Strong  men  stood  at  the  mortises  with  iron 
bars,  to  keep  the  tenons  from  slipping,  and 
to  send  them  into  their  places. 

With  as  much  bustle  as  would  occur  to 
launch  a  modern  ship  of  twelve  hundred  tons, 


70       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

the  men  laid  hold  of  the  first  section  of  the 
frame.  It  was  started  from  the  floor  by 
main  strength,  the  "proppers"  keeping  what 
was  gained  until  the  "spike  poles"  were 
struck  into  it,  and  by  a  strong  push  alto- 
gether, the  tenons  settled  into  the  mortises, 
and  so  much  of  the  work  was  done. 

That  part  of  the  company  which  had  the 
weakness  of  taking  a  "leetle"  too  much, 
visited  the  table  at  the  barn  for  a  bit  of 
bread  and  cheese,  and  something  to  wash  it 
down.  Thus  the  work  went  on,  until  the 
frame  which  supported  the  scaffold  floor  was 
in  its  place. 

"  Well  done,  men,"  said  Squire  True ; 
"steady,  now,  and  drink  very  moderately, 
and  neighbor  Crone's  x  barn  is  all  right." 

"It's  all  owing  to  plenty  of  good  liquor," 
said  a  tavern  lounger.  "Zeke  Crone's  cor- 
dials make  us  as  strong  as  giants." 

The  scaffold  floor  was  laid,  and  the  first 
heavy  section  of  the  frame  which  bore  the 


THE   RAISING.  71 

plates  upon  which  the  rafters  were  to  be 
adjusted,  was  lifted  upon  the  props.  The 
"spike  poles"  were  thrust  against  it,  and 
it  was  raised  about  half  way  to  its  place, 
when  a  recruit  of  four  men  coming  late 
from  the  barn  table,  strong  as  giants  from 
liberal  potations  of  the  "cordial,"  seized  a 
pole  and  made  a  desperate  and  sudden  push 
upon  the  frame.  Their  jerk  loosened  the 
hold  of  full  half  of  the  other  poles,  and 
they  fell  to  the  floor.  This  left  the  whole 
weight  of  the  frame  upon  those  who  were 
straining  at  the  few  remaining  poles. 

"  Stand  from  under  !  "  shouted  Squire  True, 
as  he  seized  one  of  the  drunken  men,  and 
thrust  him  out  of  harm's  way.  Before  the 
•  fallen  poles  could  come  to  the  rescue,  the 
strength  of  the  men  holding  the  others  was 
gone. 

"  Stand  from  under ! "  was  again  shouted, 
as  the  frame  came  to  the  floor  with  a  crash. 
The  tenons  and  braces  were  broken,  making 


72        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

work  for  the  carpenters,  before  any  further 
raising  could  be  done.  But  this  was  a 
small  part  of  the  accident.  Mr.  Crone's  foot 
slipped  as  he  let  go,  and  he  fell  backwards. 
One  end  of  the  pole  fell  upon  his  leg,  as 
the  other  end  came  under  the  full  weight 
of  the  descending  timber.  He  was  imme- 
diately extricated,  but  his  piteous  groaning, 
too  well  assured  the  men  even  before  the" 
doctor  declared  the  fact,  that  his  leg  wras 
broken. 

Mrs.  Crone's  energy  and  efficient  help  rose 
superior,  for  the  time,  to  all  complaining. 
No  person  of  the  whole  company  showed 
more  coolness.  The  sufferer  was  soon  in  a 
quiet  chamber,  his  leg  set  and  "splintered," 
and  his  mind  left  to  its  reflection,  and  his 
family  to  a  conviction  of  the  "summer's  task" 
which  was  before  them. 

The  raisers  scattered,  each  with  his  re- 
marks, and  all  with  a  sincere  regret  for 
the  accident,  and  sympathy  for  the  suffering 
family. 


THE   RAISING.  73 

"  The  fools  must  give  out  and  let  their 
spike  poles  drop,  when  smart  men  gave  the 
frame  a  touch,"  said  the  drunkards,  some- 
what sobered  now  and  feeling  conscious  that 
they  had  caused  the  accident.  "  If  all  had 
taken  a  bumber  of  Crone's  cordial,  and  not 
the  stingy  bit  which  Deacon  Turner  preached 
up,  we'd  pushed  the  plaguy  thing  into  the 
middle  of  next  week,  and  Zeke's  leg  wouldn't 
have  been  broke.  It's  all  owing  to  the  dea- 
con's and  the  squire's  temp'rance  nonsense." 

There  was,  that  evening,  an  earnest  talk 
at  the  parsonage.  Deacon  Turner  and  the 
squire,  made  their  pastor  an  early  call  to 
talk  over  the  serious  event  of  the  day. 
While  these  three  were  in  the  midst  of  their 
discussion,  Doctor  Burt  came  in.  The  doc- 
tor was  the  wisest  man  of  the  age  —  in .  his 
own  estimation ;  and  this  claim  was  disputed 
by  the  people  in  favor  of  their  minister 
only.  To  blister,  bleed,  give  "blue  pills, 
salts  and  senna,"  with  ardent  spirit,  "  quan- 


74        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

turn  sufficit?  was  the  chief  en'd  of  the  phy- 
sician's calling,  in  his  estimation ;  and  to 
submit  to  his  treatment,  the  chief  end  of 
man. 

"This  whole  trouble  has  come,"  the  squire 
and  deacon  affirmed  with  one  voice,  "be- 
cause the  men  did  not  heed  our  solemn 
•warning,  and  our  faithful  example,  concern- 
ing the  use  of  ardent  spirit.  They  took  too 
much,  and  God's  judgment  came  upon  their 
sin." 

The  doctor  gave  a  complacent  nod.  If 
the  people,  he  said,  would  only  take  his 
advice,  all  would  be  well.  He  had,  through 
his  long,  as  he  trusted,  not  altogether  un- 
successful practice,  commanded  all  men  every- 
where not  to  exceed  three  drams  a  day, 
except  by  his  special  permission. 

Mr.  Curtis,  the  pastor,  made  but  few  re- 
marks. His  distinguished  callers  were  sur- 
prised at  his  unusual  silence.  The  doctor 
was  slightly  offended  that  he  did  not  express 


THE   EAISING.  75 

admiration  at  his  modest  claims,  and  pro- 
found suggestions.  The  more  discerning 
deacon  perceived  that  his  pastor's  spirits 
were  stirred  within  him,  and  that  his  mus- 
ings were  foreshadowing  some  new  course  of 
thought  and  duty.  This  the  deacon  thought 
he  perceived,  and  even  the  doctor,  before 
retiring,  indulged  suspicions,  and  shook  his 
head  the  next  time  he  met  the  squire,  say- 
ing, "I  fear  our  good  pastor  is  going  to 
take  some  unwise  measure  in  reference  to 
the  little  indiscretions  of  the  men  at  the  late 
raising."  He  always,  patronizingly  called  Mr. 
Curtis  "our  good  pastor,"  when  he  wished  to 
show  his  own  superior  wisdom. 

Whether  the  doctor  and  the  deacon  rightly 
discerned  the  thoughts  of  their  pastor,  we 
shall  see. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM. 

EZEKIEL  CRONE  had  been  sleeping  uneasily, 
when  he  turned  his  face  towards  the  chair  in 
which  his  wife,  for  the  last  twenty-four  hours, 
had  been  almost  constantly  sitting.  He  was 
about  to  say,  "Jerusha,  you  had  better  lie 
down  and  get  a  little  sleep.  You'll  be  sick, 
then  what  will  become  of  us?"  But  his  eyes 
met  those  of  Patience  Alden,  who  had,  dur- 
ing his  sleep,  come  in,  sent  his  wife  to  bed, 
and  taken  her  place  as  a  watcher.  Hope  and 
courage  came  to  the  suffering  man,  from  the 
expression  of  her  face.  A  few  days  later, 
he  learned  that  John  Alden  and  his  boys, 
with  a  company  of  townsmen  of  his  select- 
ing, had  been  at  the  Corner,  repaired  dam- 

76 


MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       77 

ages,  finished  raising  the  barn,  and  put  other 
friends  in  the  way  of  its  completion.  This 
was  not  all.  When  Ezekiel  was  able  to  sit 
up,  |fu}  look  out  upon  his  mowing  land,  a 

surprise  was  planned  for  him.     He  expected 

« 
to   see   his   grass   "lodged"   and   spoiled,   his 

crops  overrun1  with  weeds,  and  a  dismal 
look  all  about,  for  the  next  winter.  But  the 
last  of  his  hay,  all  well  made,  was  just  en- 
tering his  barn.  His  boys,  instead  of  loung- 
ing, seemed  full  of  work.  His  garden  never 
looked  finer.  His  corn  and  potatoes  sent 
pleasant  greetings  by  the  passing  breeze,  to 
their  owner  at  the  window,  assuring  him  of 
their  most  excellent  health. 

The  invalid  buried  his  face  in  his  hands, 
and  bowed  his  head  upon  the  window  sill, 
weeping  freely,  as  he  murmured  softly,  "I 
see  how  it  is.  John  Aldeu  and  his  boys  have 
been  round." 

The  harvest  weeks  were  just  setting  in, 
when  Mr.  Crone,  with  nearly  his  usual 


78       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

strength,  returned  to  his  labor.  His  grana- 
ries promised  to  be  quite  as  full  as  usual. 
His  sous,  Zeke  and  Tom,  appeared  to  him 
"a  head  taller  and  a  deal  smarter"  than  in 
the  spring. 

The  case  of  the  Crones  was  in  discussion 
at  this  time,  during  the  intermission  on  Sun- 
day, by  a  company  of  men  who  were  eating 
their  lunch  in  the  horse-sheds.  They  were 
not  of  the  baser  sort,  but  substantial  heads 
of  families. 

The  hour  between  the  morning  and  after- 
noon service,  and  the  horse-sheds  and  the  en- 
virons of  the  church,  were  to  our  fathers  in 
the  rural  districts  in  olden  times,  and  down 
to  the  formation  of  Sunday  Schools,  institu- 
tions of  no  small  educating  power.  Then 
and  there  the  passing  events  and  current 
questions  in  state  and  church  were  discussed, 
neighborhood  matters  talked  over,  while  fru- 
gal lunches  were  eaten. 

At   the    time    of    which    we    are    speaking, 


MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       79 

George  Parsons,  of  the  saw-mill,  introduced 
the  subject.  "It  is  surprising,  certainly, 
friends,"  he  remarked,  as  a  generous  piece 
of  rye  bread  waited  between  his  fingers  to 
stop  his  mouth  by  going  in,  "it  is  surpris- 
ing how  John  Alden  accomplishes  so  much. 
He  and  his  boys  have,  this  past  summer, 
done  most  of  the  work  of  two  farms.  Yes, 
friends,  and  let  me  tell  you  that  the  old 
farm  at  the  Corners  never  smiled  so  upon 
its  owner  as  now." 

"It  don't  signify,"  said  a  gray  headed  old 
man,  giving  his  clean  Sunday  frock  a  vigor- 
ous twitch,  "John  Alden  is  jest  a  leetle  too 
zealous.  I'm  told,  but  I'm  not  sartin  though 
that  it's  true,  that  Zeke  Crone  had  taken  a 
bit  too  much  when  he  broke  his  ieg.  If  so, 
he  was  sarved  right.  I  hold  that  every  man's 
got  enough  to  do  to  take  care  of  his  own 
farm,  and  nobody's  called  to  work  for  them 
who  don't  know  how  to  stop  drinking  when 
they've  got  enough." 


80        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

The  horse-shed  circle  agreed  with  the  old 
man,  for  they  held  that  gray  hairs  did  teach 
wisdom  —  that  is,  when  they  uttered  words 
which  they  approved. 

But  Alden  Farm  gave  the  town  another 
theme  over  which  there  was  much  wonder 
and  talk.  "A  raising"  had  come  off  there. 
It  was  not  generally  known  that  any  was  in 
preparation.  But  the  preparations  had  been 
so  quietly  made,  and  when  the  frame  was 
ready,  the  building  had  been  so  quietly  and 
quickly  put  up,  that  some  fairy  seemed  to 
have  come  to  the  place,  smiled  upon  John 
and  Patience,  spoken  kindly  to  the  children, 
and  then,  to  show  the  approval  of  all  fairies 
of  the  good  deeds  of  the  summer,  waved 
her  wand,  and  brought  up  the  building. 
But  the  locality  of  our  story  is  in  plain, 
matter-of-fact  New  England,  where  there  arc 
no  fairies.  So  we  must  explain  what  the 
new  building  was,  and  how  it  came  into 
existence. 


MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       81 

It  was  not  a  great  affair,  but  simply  a 
long,  wide  shed,  connecting  the  house  with 
the  barn.  Its  posts  were  of  a  good  height, 
and,  by  all  precedent,  it  was  fairly  entitled 
to  a  raising.  The  lumber  required  was 
nearly  equal  in  its  number  of  square  feet, 
to  the  new  barn  at  Crone's  Corner.  Its 
material  was  the  result  of  odd  hours  of 
work  for  several  winters,  and  had  been 
"sticked  up,"  in  the  old  shed,  out  of  sight. 
The  framing  had  been  done  there.  When 
John  Alden  saw  the  results  of  the  raising 
at  Crone's,  he  and  Patience  took  the  whole 
subject  of  raisings  and  their  attending  "treat- 
ing" into  serious  discussion.  Long  and  earn- 
estly did  they  look  at  the  subject,  and  as 
they  turned  it  over,  and  sharply  examined 
it,  it  grew  in  breadth  and  importance.  One 
fact  in  connection  with  dram  drinking  ap- 
peared to  them  as  it  never  had  done  before. 
It  was  the  effect  of  it  upon  the  boys  and 
young  men.  This  was  impressed  upon  them 

6 


82        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

by  an  incident  at  the  late  raising,  which  but 
few  had  noticed.  It  was  this, —  Crone's  boys 
were  drunk  on  the  evening  of.  the  accident. 
They  had,  in  common  with  other  boys,  sipped 
the  rum  and  sugar  vfroin  the  bottom  of  the 
tumblers  used  by  the 'raisers.  On  the  sud- 
den leaving  of  the  men,  "more  than  was 
good  for  them"  was  left  to  their  share.  In 
the  confusion  from  the  broken  leg,  little 
notice  was  taken  of  them,  and  only  sharp 
observers  like  John  Alden  had  noticed  their 
condition. 

"Think  of  my  boys  drunk!"  said  John, 
during  one  of  the  kitchen  evening  discus- 
sions with  Patience.  And  he  arose  from  the 
stand,  and  walked  the  floor  in  an  excitement 
quite  rare  with  him. 

"  Think  of  my  husband  a  drunkard  ! "  re- 
sponded Patience,  without  raising  her  eyes 
from  the  little  frock  of  one  of  the  girls, 
which  she  was  patching. 

This    was    another    nail    in    a   sure    place. 


MOKE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FAEM.       83 

% 

John  paused,  looked  earnestly  into  Patience's 
serious,  calm  face,  and,  after  a  few  moments' 
silence,  said,  slowly,  "  Why  not  John  Alden 
a  drunkard?  Many  better  men  have  been 
conquered  by  the  demon  Alcohol.  I  will 
never  taste  the  ruinous  stuff  again ! " 

"Nor  provide  it  for  others,"  said  Patience, 
in  the  same  calm,  quiet  tone,  with  a  shade 
more  of  emphasis  than  before. 

K Patience,"  said  John,  sitting  down,  and 
Testing  his  elbow  upon  the  stand,  and  reach- 
ing forward  until  his  face  came  almost  in 
contact  with  that  of  his  wife's.  A  looker-on 
might  have  supposed  he  was  about  to  kiss 
her,  nor  are  we  quite  sure  that  he  did  not. 
"Patience,  you  are  always  a  little  ahead  of 
me  in  every  right  path.  But  how  shall  we 
get  along  in  haying  time  when  I  have  to 
call  upon  my  neighbors  to  give  me  a  good 
turn,  as  some  dark  cloud  threatens  to  pour 
its  contents  upon  my  well  made  hay?  how, 
when  I  want  men  to  go  logging  with  me  in 


84       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

» 

the  winter, —  how  at  the  expected  raising?" 
These  were  questions  like  many  others, 
which  are  old  now,  but  were  then  just  oc- 
cupying the  minds  of  a  few  only  —  the  few 
whose  hearts  and  minds  God  had  touched. 
Patience  lifted  her  eyes  from  her  work 
and  set  them  full  upon  John.  Her  cheeks 
were  slightly  flushed  with  the  blush  he  had 
just  excited.  Never,  not  even  when  she 
blushingly  said,  "I  will,"  in  the  marriage 
vow,  had  she  seemed  so  loveable  in  his  eyes. 
"What  shall  we  do,  John?  do  right,  and 
trust  in  God  !" 

All  discussion  on  the  subject  was  ended 
from  that  time.  A  sweet  peace  settled  down 
upon  John  Alden,  unknown  before  even  to 

• 

him,  in  his  moments  of  greatest  nearness  to 
God.  He  was  now,  in  heart  and  practice, 
a  "teetotaler."  "Do  right,  and  trust  in 
God ! "  They  were  words  which  involved  an 
old,  not  a  new  obligation.  But  they  fell 
upon  John  Aldeu  like  words  in  prophetic 


MOKE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FAKM.       85 

vision,  upon  the  old  seers.  The  candles  upon 
the  stand  seemed  to  blaze  with  a  brighter, 
purer  flame,  as  if  appointed  of  God  to  sym- 
bolize the  increased  spiritual  light  granted  to 
his  servants.  Such  illuminations  of  the  spirit 
as  John  and  Patience  Alden  now  experienced, 
does  God  give  to  those  who  seek,  as  they 
did,  in  persistent  faith  and  -prayer,  to  know 
and  do  his  whole  will. 

These  statements  explain  why  Johh  Alden's 
raising  went  up  so  quietly  and  privately.  He 
went  to  a  number  sufficient  for  his  purpose, 
of  friends  most  likely  to  respond  to  his  re- 
markable request.  "Come,  neighbors,"  he 
said,  in  his  outspoken  way,  "I  have  a  bit 
of  a  frame  which  I  want  to  put  up.  I 
shan't  wet  it  with  a  drop  of  liquor.  If  you 
can  trust  John  Aldeii  for  a  good  turn  in  the 
same  way,  come  on.  If  not,  don't  come." 
Every  man  who  was  invited  came, —  came 
early,  all  worked  with  a  will  and  without 
bluster,  and  the  work  was  done,  and  nobody 


86        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

drank  anything  stronger  than  Patience  Al- 
deu's  coffee.  All  returned  home  when  the 
work  was  done,  profoundly  respecting  John 
Aldeu,  although  some  criticised  sharply  his 
new  notions. 

When  Jerusha  Crone  heard  of  this  affair, 
she  burst  into  tears.  She  "couldn't  help  it," 
she  said.  Not  that  she  envied  such  "a  dear 
good  man"  as  John  Aldeu.  "But  there  it 
is,"  she  said.  "John  Alden  can  have  help 
without  its  costing  him  a  cent.  He  needn't 
give  them  a  drop  of  anything,  when  our 
liquor  cost  us  dollars  and  dollars,  and  then — 
I  don't  like  to  complain  of  my  Maker,  and  I 
won't," — and  she  broke  out  afresh  in  sobs  and 
tears,  as  she  added,  "but  my  dear,  honest 
husband  must  have  a  leg  broke,  and  we  get 
nothing  but  failure  and  blame." 

So  it  was,  there  was  no  "luck"  at  Crone's 
Corner,  except  what  the  kindness  of  its 
friends  carried  there  !  How  strange  !  thought 
its  suffering  victims.  But  perhaps  our  secret 
may  be  known  sometime,  to  even  them. 


MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       87 

Though  John  Alden's  shed  had  gone  up 
quietly,  its  manner  of  raising  produced  a  de- 
cided breeze.  Dr.  Burt  learned  with  indig- 
nation, the  stand  which  ~  Alden  Farm  folks 
had  taken.  He  resolved  himself  at  once  into 
a  committee  to  wait  upon  them.  He  consid- 
ered his  wisdom  called  in  question  by  a 
plain,  unlearned  farmer.  It  would  never  do, 
for  he  had  maintained  all  his  life  that  mod- 
erate drinking  was  a  virtue,  and  excess  was 
a  great  crime. 

"I  have  called,  sir,"  said  the  doctor,  ad- 
dressing John  Alden,  "to  give  you  my  pro- 
fessional opinion  in  the  matter  of  the  use 
and  abuse  of  alcoholic  drinks." 

While  delivering  this  message,  the  doctor 
assumed  his  most  imposing  air.  The  know- 
ing nod  of  his  head  at  its  close,  said,  "7, 
wisdom,  teach  knowledge."  He  had  come, 
after  a  slight  knock,  which  he  did  not  wait 
to  have  answered,  into  the  kitchen.  John 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  in  his  far- 


88        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAKM. 

mer's  frock,  milk-pail  in  hand.  His  heavy 
cowhide  boots  gave  him  a  firm  footing  upon 
the  floor.  The  well-developed  muscles  of  his 
arm,  and  the  labor-worn  hardness  of  his  fist, 
might  well  have  intimidated  an  ordinary  man, 
if  there  had  been  any  occasion  to  fear  their 
violent  use.  As  the  doctor  ended  the  abrupt 
announcement  of  his  business,  a  close  ob- 
server might  have  seen  a  slight  and  furtive 
contraction  of  Alden's  brow,  indicating  defi- 
ance and  angry  words.  But  even  an  indiffer- 
ent by-stander  could  see  the  straightening 
up  of  his  manly  form,  and  the  unconscious 
moving  forward  of  his  right  foot.  In  a 
deep,  steady  voice,  in  which  there  was  the 
steady  force  of  a  sea  captain  on  the  quarter- 
deck in  a  storm,  who  is  conscious  that  he 
is  .master  of  the  situation,  John  Alden  said, 
"Doctor,  when  we  are  sick  in  body,  and 
can't  get  along  with  Patience's  remedies  and 
good  nursing,  we  call  the  doctor ;  when  we 
are  sick  in  heart,  or  perplexed  concerning 


Patience,  flat-iron  in  hand,  calmly  surveyed  the  doctor.    Page  89. 


MOKE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       89 

duty,  we  go  to  another  source  altogether" 
The  last  sentence  was  uttered  with  an  em- 
phasis to  which  John's  cowhide  boot  gave 
force,  by  a  slight  rise  and  sudden  descent 
upon  the  kitchen  floor.  The  man  of  pre- 
tentious learning  wilted  before  the  honest 
yeoman  of  common  sense.  To  add  to  his 
confusion,  Patience,  who  had  continued  at 
her  ironing  till  just  at  this  crisis,  turned 
round,  flat-iron  in  hand,  and  calmly  surveyed 
the  doctor.  John  had  set  his  milk-pail  down, 
folded  his  arms  across  his  <  breast,  and  was 
awaiting,  like  a  giant  clad  in  mail,  his  op- 
ponent's assault. 

The  doctor  fluttered  from  his  boots  to  his 
hair,  like  a  ship's  sails  out  of  which  the 
wind  had  been  suddenly  taken,  and  stam- 
mered out,  "But,  well,  you'll  argue  this 
matter  —  it's  a  great  question." 

"Patience  and  I  have  argued  and  settled 
it,"  said  John,  waving  his  hand  triumphant- 
ly towards  his  wife,  as  a  victorious  general 


90        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

would  turn  to  his  chief  of  staff  by  whom 
he  had  conquered. 

"  Settled  it,  without  consulting  your  pas- 
tor or"  — 

"Yes,"  interposed  Alden,  in  a  voice  which 
began  to  assume  a  tone  of  authority,  "  settled 
it,  sir,  without  consulting  the  minister  or 
doctor!"  Then,  dropping  his  voice  into  a 
tender,  solemn  utterance,  as  he  stepped  for- 
ward and  put  his  mouth  almost  to  the  doc- 
tor's ear,  he  saicl,  "  Yes,  Patience  and  I 
settled  it,  after  consulting, — on  our  knees  iu 
secret,  and  at  the  family  altar,  the  All- 
Wise.  And,  doctor,  it  is  settled !  I  will 
never,  never  touch  alcoholic  drink  again.  *  I 
will  never  again  put  the  cup  to  my  neigh- 
bor's lips ! " 

The  doctor  stooped  and  took  up  his  hat 
which  had  dropped  upon  the  floor,  and  turned 
to  leave. 

"Doctor,"  said  Patience,  with  one  of  her 
sweetest  smiles,  "stop  and  take  tea  with  us. 


MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       91 

You  do  not  often  favor  us  with  a  friendly 
call." 

"Do,"  added  John, —  "and  take  a  farmer's 
fare  and  a  farmer's  welcome.  There  are  none 
better ! " 

But  the  doctor  beat  a  retreat  with  an  awk- 
ward apology,  after  having  shown  a  decided 
inclination  to  tarry  any  length  of  time  to 
"argue."  He  continued  to  denounce  the 
Alden  Farm  "ultraism,"  but  he  was  never 
known  to  allude  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
made  John  Alden  a  call  on  the  subject. 

Soon  after,  John  and  Patience  received 
visitors  of  a  different  spirit.  They  were 
Deacon  Turner  and  Squire  True.  They 
came  in  no  blustering  spirit,  but  as  brethren 
of  the  same  church  communion.  They  said 
they  had  heard  of  the  decided  stand  Mr. 
Alden  had  taken  for  the  elevation  of  the 
moral  standard  in  the  town,  with  much  pleas- 
ure. But  they  were  afraid  he  wras  going  too 
far.  They  feared  hurt  might  be  done  to  the 


92       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

holy  cause  of  temperance  by  so  strenuous  a 
demand  as  that  of  denying  the  moderate  use 
of  liquor  on  suitable  occasions. 

John's  vigorous  common  sense  drove 
through  their  objections  to  his  position,  like 
a  fifty  horse  power  engine  through  a  snow 
bank.  He  left,  too,  a  straight  and  clean  track 
behind  him,  to  show  what  he  had  done. 

After  a  friendly  chat  of  an  hour,  the 
deacon  turned  to  his  companion,  and  re- 
marked pleasantly,  "  Squire,  you  see  these 
people  have  fully  made  up  their  mind  con- 
cerning this  matter.  I  think  we  have  no 
further  duty  here." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  squire,  "but  perhaps 
brother  Alden  has  a  further  duty  in  reference 
to  us.  Speak  on,  neighbor  Alden,  I  can 
hear  more." 

John  then  closed  the  talk  with  an  account 
of  his  remarkable  experience  when  his  final 
decision  was  made. 

"We   came   to  reprove  and  convict  of  er- 


MORE  LUCK  AT  ALDEN  FARM.       93 

ror,"  remarked  the  squire,  as  they  slowly 
walked  away.  ••  "But  I  think,  Brother  Tur- 
ner, we  return  almost  persuaded  of  the  wis- 
dom of  John's  way." 

"You  speak  my  mind,"  said  the  deacon. 

The  quiet  of  Alden  Farm  was  undisturbed 
by  the  commotion  it  had  caused  in  the  town. 
It  fact,  its  unpretending  family  were  uncon- 
scious of  having  caused  any  commotion. 
They  builded  better  than  they  knew.  They 
seriously  had  asked  God  to  show  them  the 
right  way,  and,  having  learned  it,  walked 
unflinchingly  in  it. 

"John  Alden,"  said  Mrs.  Crone,  "cares 
for  nobody,  and  does  as  he's  a  mind  to.  I'll 
warrant  our  great  folks  —  the  deacon  and  the 
squire,  and  maybe  the  parson,  will  praise 
him  for  it  yet.  If  1  do  as  I'm  a  mind  to, 
I'm  a  stubborn,  wicked  women,  folks  say, 
at  once,  and  some  judgment,  like  a  broken 
leg,  lights  upon  me  right  off.-  It  does  seem 
strange !  But  I  never  did  have  any  good 
luck." 


94        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAHM. 

"John  Alden  is  stingy,"  said  the  tavern 
loafers.  "He  won't  treat  at -a  raising.  I'll 
wager  that  his  shed  will  tumble  down.  No 
building  can  stand  that  goes  up  without 
liquor." 

"Alden's  a  mean  nobody,"  responded  the 
bar-keeper. 

"He  makes  a  plaguy  fuss  in  this  heer 
town  for  a  nobody,"  hiccoughed  a  half  tipsy 
customer.  "It's  my  opinion,  gentlemen,  that 
John  Alden's  a  pretty  tolerable,  decent  sort 
of  a  man,  and  that  he  could  buy  and  keep 
on  hand  the  whole  of  ye." 

The  pastor,  Mr.  Curtis,  watched  and  stud- 
ied the  .turn  things  were  taking.  He  was 
a  cautious,  decided,  honest  man.  He  was 
slow  to  act  in  new  movements,  but  unselfish 
and  unshrinking  when  the  path  of  duty  was 
plain.  Somehow,  though  both  stood  in  in- 
dependent positions,  the  lights  of  Aldeu 
Farm  and  the  parsonage  seemed  ever  blend- 
ing together. 


.  CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    HUSKING. 

IT  happened  with  John  Alden's  townpeople 
that  one  theme  of  gossip  lasted  until  another 
occurred.  His  "raising"  was  talked  about 
until  his  "husking"  came  off.  So  generous 
had  he  been  with  his  time  in  the  interest  of 
others,  that  his  unusually  large  crop  of  corn 
remained  in  the  field  until  the  November 
snow  began  to  fall.  Other  work  would  soon 

crowd   upon  him,    while   the   barn  floor  con- 
I 

tained  a  most  discouraging  heap  which  waited 
for  the  buskers. 

"Father,"  said  Carver,  "Miles  and  I  think 
our  winter  school  will  begin  before  that  corn 
is  out  of  the  barn  floor.  Can't  we  have  a 
busking?" 

S5 


96        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

The  boy's  mother  had  been  asking,  "Can't 
we  have  a  husking?"  and  all  the  children 
took  up  the  question.  The  huskings,  up  to 
that  time,  had  been,  as  almost  every  special 
occasion  for  the  people  to  gather  together 
had  been,  a  time  of  "treating."  With  many, 
the  drinking  had  been  the  principal  attrac- 
tion. Could  there  be  a  husking  without 
strong  drink?  was  John  Alden's  query.  He 
had  squarely  decided  that  if  there  could  not, 
he  would  husk  his  own  corn,  though  it  lay 
in  the  barn  embarrassing  his  other  work  until 
spring.  He  had  proved  that  a  small  build- 
ing, at  least,  could  be  raised  without  it. 
But  a  husking  was  in  a  marked  degree,  a 
social  gathering,  and  it  would,  he  thought, 
be  considered  very  unsocial  without  strong 
drink. 

As  was  his  custom  in  every  perplexity,  he 
talked  the  matter  over  with  Patience. 

"Had  we  not,  Patience,"  he  suggested,  "in 
view  of  the  opposition  to  our  stand  against 


THE    HUSKING.  97 

strong  drink,  try  to  get  along  alone  with 
the  husking?" 

"  The  children's  school  begins  next  week," 
said  Patience.  "  Their  time  for  study  must 
not  be  embarrassed.  The  chores  will  be  all 
the  boys  can  do.  Your  work  in  the  woods 
begins  soon.  Besides,  John,  there  is  good 
to  be  done  just  now  by  a  husking." 

"Will  you  explain,"  said  John,  "how  that 
can  be?" 

"Why,  look  here,  John,"  replied  Patience, 
with  a  glance  of  surprise,  "it  will  give  us 
a  chance  to  declare  more  publicly  our  prin- 
ciples. If  they  are  right,  we  should  publish 
them  abroad.  /  feel  just  Wee  doing  it." 

John  smiled  at  his  wife's  zeal,  and  gave 
his  vote  for  a  husking. 

"I  guess  it  will  be  a  good  time,"  said 
Miles.  To  this  the  younger  children  gave 
assent  by  their  overflow  of  good  spirits. 
Even  baby  Winslow  was  informed  that  a 
great  amount  of  fun  was  in  store  for  him, 

7 


98        THE  LUCK  OP  ALDEN  FAEM. 

and  Rachel  gravely  imforined  him  that  he 
could  not  have  "  one  drop  of  toddy  "  to  which 
little  Jerry  added  the  wise  and  important 
explanation  that  "it  is  not  good  for  'oo." 
!  The  Crones  heard  of  the  husking  to  come 
off  at  the  Alden  Farm,  with  their  usual 
feeling  of  mingled  wonder,  doubt  and  envy, 
at  the  proposals  from  that  quarter. 

"John  will  be  lucky,"  said  Mr.  Crone, 
"if  he  gets  that  big  heap  of  corn  husked 
without  paying  for  or  using  any  liquor." 

"Of  course  he  will,"  said  Mrs.  Crone. 
"Folks'll  run  to  John's.  He  has  a  knack  of 
making  'em  do  so." 

The  Crone  children  discussed  the  matter 
in  their  way. 

>  "Zeke,"  said  Tom,  "it  will  be  a  dry  old 
time  at  Alden  Farm  next  Wednesday  night ; 
a  big  heap  of  corn  to  husk,  and  no  rum 
and  sugar  in  the  bottoms  of  the  tumblers." 

"  That  is  so ;  a  dry,  mean  old  time,"  re- 
sponded Zeke. 


THE    HUSKING.  99 

A  pause  of  a  moment  followed,  which  Tom 
broke  with  an  exclamation  of  great  energy 
for  him.  "Zeke,  let's  go!" 

"  Agreed  ! "  shouted  Zeke,  jumping  up  and 
striking  his  cowhide  boots  together  as  he 

! 

came  down  upon  the  barn  floor.  Tom  at- 
tested his  joy  at  the  anticipated  "dry  old 
time,"  by  tossing  his  fur  cap  into  the  air, 
and  kicking  it  as  it  came  down,  with  such 
vigor,  that  it  lodged  on  the  hay  mow. 

There  was,  somehow,  an  attraction  about 
all  that  was  going  on  at  Aid  en  Farm,  which 
made  the  children  of  the  parish  want  to  go, 
though  their  "notions"  were  sneered  at  by 
both  old  and  young.  Some  of  the  old  folks 
went  so  far  as  to  say  that  if  Patience  Alden 
should  send  out  word  to  the  young  folks 
to  come  to  Alden  Farm  to  be  whipped  all 
round,  they  would  go,  for  they  would  say, 
"Aunt  Patience's  love  will  more'n  pay  for 
the  rods." 

We    cannot    say    whether    this   was   so   or 


100       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

not,  but  we  know  that  "young  America"  of 
those  times,  "loved  dearly"  to  go  to  all 
gatherings  at  John  Alden's. 

The  husking  afternoon  arrived.  At  an 
early  hour  the  people  came  in  large  num- 
bers. The  young  people  were  largely  rep- 
resented. Even  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crone  could 
not  see  their  children  go  without  accompany- 
ing them.  The  hard  drinking  loungers  of 
the  tavern  and  stores,  came  late  and  styly. 
They  had  first  secured  a  stiff  glass  of  rum 
and  molasses,  in  view  of  John  Alden's  ex- 
pected stinginess  in  this  direction.  William 
Treat  and  Moses  Pond  were  representative 

men  of  this  class.     They  passed  on  ahead  of 

% 
their   companions   "  to    explore  the  coast,"  as 

they  said,  while  their  companions  sat  down 
in  a  turn  of  the  road,  a  few  rods  from  the 
premises. 

"Look  here,  Mose,"  said  Treat,  in  a  whis- 
per, as  he  pushed  open  the  door  of  the  new 
shed,  and  peered  at  its  contents,  "look  here, 
I  say,  Mose." 


THE   HUSKING.  101 

• 

Moses  Pond  crept  softly  to  the  shed  door, 
took  a  deliberate  survey  of  its  contents. 

"Whew!"  said  Mose,  in  an  undertone, 
"let's  go  to  the  husking!" 

Moses  slipped  into  the  barn  among  the 
buskers,  while  Treat  returned  to  his  com- 
panions to  report  concerning  the  appearance 
of  things. 

"Men  I"  he  exclaimed,  like  one  amazed, 
"Aunt  Patience  has  set  a  table  clear'n  the 
whole  length  of  the  new  shed.  Her  table 
cloths  are  as  "white  as  old  maid  Crone's, 
who's  been  known  to  chase  a  fly  a  half 
a  day  in  summer,  rather'ern  to  have  one  in 
her  kitchen.  Then  you  ought  to  see  what 
she's  got  on  it !  Such  punk'in  pies !  and 
such  poodens  !  I  smelled  the  tea  and  coffee 
too,  and  they  set  me  right  up.  They's  got 
the  real  Java,  and  no  mistake ;  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  the  tea  was  the  real  'old  hisin.' 
Men,  let's  go  to  John  Alden's  buskin'." 

To   this    all  agreed,   but  several   of   them 


K)2       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

slyly  peered  into  the  new  shed  to  assure 
themselves  that  there  could  be  an  attractive 
looking  table  without  alcohol. 

The  half  drunken  men  pushed  open  the 
barn  door  and  stepped  in.  At  the  first 
sight  of  the  buskers,  they  involuntarily 
paused  and  stood  confused.  A  profusion  of 
light  blazed  upon  the  company  from  lanterns 
suspended  over  their  heads.  Parson  Curtis, 
and  the  leading  members  of  his  flock,  were 
there.  The  young  people  —  the  girls  and 
the  boys  —  were  present  in  great  numbers. 
John  Alden  was  in  his  happiest  mood,  taking 
away  the  rapidly  filled  baskets  of  yellow 
corn,  and  watching  to  secure  for  all  comfor- 
table positions  near  the  diminishing  heap. 

The  face  of  Patience  Alden  glowed  with 
animation.  She  seemed  free  from  care,  as 
if  the  successful  conducting  of  this  enterprise, 
in  which  a  great  moral  reform  was  concerned, 
was  no  responsibility  of  hers.  Like  a  skillful 
general,  she  provided  before  the  forces  came 


THE  HUSKING.  103 

into  the  field,  for  all  the  necessities  of  a 
victory,  so  that  now  the  conflict  was  going 
on,  she  calmly  surveyed  its  progress.  It 
was  noticed  by  the  observing  ones  that  the 
most  of  her  time  was  spent  helping  to  fill 
the  baskets  of  certain  shy,  ragged  boys, 
who  had  crept  timidly  into  the  busy  circle. 

Patience,  seeing  "Mose"  and  "Bill"  hesi- 
tate at  the  door,  invited  them  forward,  and 
seated  them  in  a  quiet  corner,  where  they 
could  see  but  not  be  very  generally  seen. 

"Mose  !  "  whispered  Bill,  "  them's  nice  look- 
ing folks  tho'  that's  huskin'  round  that  heap  ! " 

"Yes,  Bill,  they  be,  but  I  feel  dry  a'ready. 
Don't  you  think  John  will  have  any  liquor 
here  on  the  sly?" 

No,  Mose.  You'll  need  to  turn  into  a 
pillar  of  salt  and  keep  forever,  if  you  think 
to  sit  here  until  John  Alden  does  anything 
on  the  sly  !  " 

One  of  the  pleasant  entertainments  of  the 
occasion,  was  a  rivalry  in  filling  the  baskets 


104       TELE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

with  the  husked  ears.  Clubs  of  three  or 
more  strove  against  each  other  for  the  palm. 
All,  young  and  old,  engaged  in  the  exciting 
strife,  and  men  full  of  years  and  honors, 
were  for  the  time,  young  again,  and  joined 
in  the  happy  shouts  of  the  young  over  the 
victories. 

"Mose,  let's  jine  in  that  sport  and  beat 
them  gals.  'T would  be  something  to  brag 
on,"  said  William  Treat,  becoming  quite  ex- 
cited by  the  contest. 

"I'm  awful  dry,  I  tell  you,  Bill.  I  think 
if  John  would  bring  on  his  cordial  I  might 
give  'em  all  a  sweat; — shouldn't  wonder  in 
that  case,  if  I  beat  the  parson  and  the 
squire  ! " 

Moses  Pond  went  out  to  "wet  up,"  and 
became  too  drunk  to  return.  William  Treat 
joined  the  husking  circle,  and  soon  felt  John 
Alden's  great,  warm  hand  upon  his  head, 
and  his  greater,  warmer  heart  beating  in 
sympathy  with  his.  It  was  the  beginning 


THE    HUSKING.  105 

of  a  new  life,  which  gave  promise  of  eternal 
life,  to  William  Treat.  On  such  seeming 
slender  threads  hang  everlasting  things ! 

The  Crone  boys,  Ezekiel  and  Thomas,  had 
had  several  trials  with  boys  of  their  age. 
But  somehow,  the  luck  of  Crone's  Corner 
would  follow  them  even  to  John  Alden's 
husking.  They  were  beaten  every  time,  either 
because  their  unthrifty  habits  adhered  to  them, 
or  because  the  presence  of  so  many  "great 
folks,"  abashed  them  to  the  disadvantage  of 
their  hands.  Just  as  that  expression  —  the 
great  destroyer  of  true  moral  courage  —  "I 
don't  care, —  I  won't  try  any  more" — was 
about  to  seal  their  failure,  Jane  Curtis  drew 
her  stool  in  between  Ezekiel  and  Thomas 
Crone,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  small 
aristocracy,  and  the  delight  of  the  true  no- 
bility such  as  John  and  Patience  Alden. 
Miss  Priscilla  Codliu  sneered  at  the  act. 
"Do  see,"  she  whispered  to  a  companion  of 
like  airs.  "If  there  aii't  our  minister's  daugh- 


106       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

ter  gone  to  join  in  a  trial  with  the  dirty 
Crone  children!  I  wouldn't  be  seen  doing  so 
if  I  was  she ! "  Miss  Codlin's  grandfather 
was  "a  tithing  man,"  and  her  father  was 
captain  of  the  town  militia.  The  family  was 
rising,  so  she  stood  on  her  dignity. 

"Now,  boys,"  said  Miss  Jane,  "we  will 
try.  Come,  Martha  Turner,  you  get  two 
more,  and  husk  against  us  three.  See  you 
get  two  real  smar.t  ones  or  you  will  have 
no  chance  at  all." 

Martha  was  Deacon  Turner's  daughter  — 
one  of  the  nobility  of  the  town  —  in  unpre- 
tending intelligence  and  goodness.  Martha 
sought  two  associates  for  the  trial.  She  soon 
brought  along  a  little  hunchback  girl,  by  the 
name  of  Martha  Vose,  but  everybody  called 
her  Patty.  Patty  had  a  little  body,  but  a 
great  heart.  Her  hand  was  as  tiny  as  a 
child's,  and  her  voice  squeaked  and  broke,  in 
ordinary  conversation  even,  like  an  invalid 
old  woman's,  though  Patty  was  only  twenty- 


THE   HUSKING.  107 

two.  But  Patty  Vose  had  a  large  brain,  and 
she  kept  it  well  exercised  in  acquiring  knowl- 
edge, and  with  thoughts  of  truth  which  per- 
tained to  this  world,  and  that  which  is  to 
come. 

Martha  next  approached  Miss  Priscilla  Cod- 
lin,  daughter  of  Captain  John  Codlin.  She 
was  always  very  fastidious  about  being  rec- 
ognized as  "the  captain's  daughter,"  seeming 
to  think  the  "Captain"  belonged  to  the  fam- 
ily, and  to  herself  in  particular.  The  wits 
called  her  "Captain  Priscilla." 

"Come,  Pris,"  said  Mattie,  in  her  innocent, 
hearty  way,  "You  be  one  with  me  and  Patty, 
to- beat  the  Crone  boys." 

"Indeed,  I  won't!"  exclaimed  Pris,  turning 
up  her  little  nose  —  which  was  likely  to  be 
larger  from  its  frequent  exercise  that  way  — 
and  giving  her  head  a  toss.  As  to  the  toss- 
ing of  the  head,  that  was  easy,  there  being 
so  little  in  it. 

"You  won't,  Pris !     Well,  then,  I'll  have—" 


108       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

and  Martha  cast  her  eye  over  the  busy  busk- 
ers for  a  companion.  "I'll  have  our  minis- 
ter's wife." 

Away  Martha  went,  crowding  through  the 
company,  and  stumbling  over  the  baskets, 
now  jostling  this  one,  and  then  pitching 
against  another,  as  full  of  merriment  the 
while,  as  a  child  on  Christmas  eve. 

She  stated  her  case  to  Mrs.  Curtis,  and  in 
her  simplicity  told  who  were  the  parties,  and 
who  had  refused. 

Mrs.  Curtis  saw  how  the  case  stood.  Her 
husband,  who  stood  by,  looked  a  significant 
"go."  These  good  people  saw  in  this  pass- 
ing incident  the  workings  of  a  true  moral 
greatness  in  conflict  with  pretentious  little- 
ness. 

So  it  turned  out  that  the  Rev.  Mrs.  Cur- 
tis, Martha  Turner,  and  Patty,  the  pigmy 
hunchback,  had  a  "set  to"  at  husking  with 
Jane  Curtis  and  the  two  Crone  boys,  of 
Crone's  Corner.  Expectation  stood  on  tip- 


THE   HUSKING.  109 

toe.  "Long  time  in  even  scales  the  victory 
hung."  It  was  evident  both  parties  were 
doing  their  best,  and  that  there  was  to  be 
no  "  giving  in  "  to  please  somebody.  Patty's 
little  hands  tore  off  the  husks  with  evident 
exertion,  if  not  pain,  so,  though  she  had  the 
will,  she  counted  but  little  in  the  contest. 
It  was  not  brain  work,  or  Patty  would  have 
counted  a  host. 

"Tom,"  whispered  Zeke,  without  abating 
a  jot  of  his  hot  haste,  "put  in  for  dear  life. 
The  Crones  will  be  somebody  if  we  beat." 

Tom  did  "put  in."  A  new  fnspiration 
came  over  the  usually  crest-fallen  boys.  It 
might  be  a  "  silly "  contest  on  the  part  of 
a  cultured  lady  and  the  genteel  young  la- 
dies, in  the  estimation  of  the  Priscillas  whose 
grandfathers  were  tithing  men.  But  the  true 
nobility  said  it  was  a  sermon  from  the  fa- 
vored ones  of  the  upper  social  circle,  to  the 
lowly  and  discouraged,  on  self-reliance.  And 
the  sermon  bore  fruit.  The  Crone  side  beat, 


110  TELE   LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

and  Zeke  and  Tom  felt  that  they  could  look 
in  the  face  every  person  at  the  husking. 
Though  Priscillas  may  laugh  at  the  assertion, 
a  weight  of  no  mean  value  had  been  thrown 
into  the  scale,  which  should  lift  the  life  of 
these  burdened  boys  into  a  purer  and  higher 
sphere. 

The  husking  had  been  going  on  from  early 
in  the  afternoon.  At  an  early  hour  in  the 
evening  John  Aldeu's  great  "heap"  of  corn 
was  in  the  corn  house.  The  husks  were 
pitched  upon  the  scaffolding  prepared  for 
them.  William  Treat  aided  the  latter  work, 
much  to  the  surprise  of  all  except  the  Alden 
Farm  folks.  John  had  his  eye  upon  just 
this  class  of  people,  and  for  them  he  con- 
stantly prayed,  and  for  them,  on  every  suit- 
able occasion,  he  labored.  More  than  in  the 
yellow  grain  of  his  corn  bins,  he  rejoiced  in 
the  God-given  fruit  of  his  moral  sowing. 
'  Zeke  and  Tom  were  now  out  of  their  cor- 
ner and  among  folks.  They  volunteered  to 


THE   HUSKING.  Ill 

sweep  up  the  barn  floor,  even  hanging  be- 
hind while  other  boys  rushed  to  the  new 
shed  where  the  supper  table  was  spread. 
John's  eye  was  upon  the  Crone  boys.  He 
gave  its  true  value  to  their  every  movement. 
He  seemed  to  read  their  thoughts. 

When  all  seemed  to  be  ready,  and  the 
company  stood  about  the  well  laden  table, 
with  keen  appetites,  not  only  whetted  by 
long  and  earnest  work,  but  by  the  enticing 
manner  in  which  Aunt  Patience  had  put  her 
good  things  before  them,  the  minister  whis- 
pered to  John,  "Are  you  ready,  brother  Al- 
den,  to  have  the  blessing  asked?" 

"Wait  a  minute,  sir,"  said  John,  in  an  un- 
dertone, glancing  along  the  whole  line.  He 
disappeared,  while  all  stood  waiting  in  solemn 
silence.  He  soon  re-appeared  with  Zeke  and 
Tom,  pushed  them  in  ahead  of  some  of  the 
boys  who  had  come  early  to  get  the  first 
grab  at  the  food.  He  then  nodded  to  the 
parson,  and  the  blessing  was  asked. 


112       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Miss  Priscilla's  nose  was  turned  up  again 
when  she  saw  this  movement.  George 
Hawes,  who  found  capital  for  much  fun  in 
Priscilla's  nose,  said  its  condition  was  alarm- 
ing, for  it  was  certainly  getting  "out  of 
joint."  But  William  Treat  declared  that  it 
was  not  alarming  at  all,  for  he  was  certain 
her  nose  had  been  "  out  of  joint "  with  all 
her  neighbors  from  the  time  her  father  was 
commissioned  captain  of  the  militia  company." 

William  Treat  ate  a  hearty  supper  without 
liquor.  He  looked  round  upon  the  happy 
company,  not  one  of  whom  was  drunk,  and 
contrasted  it  with  all  other  huskings  he>had 
ever  seen.  He  put  his  hand  upon  his  head. 
It  did  not  ache  as  it  had  usually  done  on 
such  occasions.  He  laid  his  hand  solemnly 
upon  his  heart.  It  throbbed  quietly,  for  he 
had  peace  within.  Since  he  was  a  boy,  he 
had  not  been  home  from  any  social  or  pub- 
lic gathering  perfectly  sober.  He  drew  back 
from  the  gaze  of  the  company  and  solemnly 


THE   HUSKING.  113 

resolved, —  "God  being  my  helper,  I  will 
never  touch  the  accursed  thing  again ;  "  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  heart  whispered, — 
"I  will  be  your  helper." 
!  The  minister  addressed  the  company  a  few 
moments.  He  said  his  time  for  retiring  had 
come.  Others  might  remain  for  social  pleas- 
ure. He  rejoiced  in  the  happiness  which 
beamed  in  every  face,  for  all  were  'sober. 
He  thought  his  friends  of  Aldeu  Farm  were 

p 

right,  and  that  such  occasions  were  better 
without  strong  drink.  Pausing  a  little,  he 
raised  his  voice  and  added  with  a  clear, 
solemn  tone,  "I  will  go  further,  friends,  and 
say  that  new  light  upon  this  subject  rests 
upon  my  mind  and  heart.  I  believe  that 
God  will  be  honored  and  all  the  people  ben- 
efited, if  its  use  is  wholly  discontinued, 
except  for  a  medicine." 

The  parson  and  the  deacons  retired.  The 
young  folks  returned  to  the  barn  floor  to 
play  blind  man's  buff.  Patty  took  her  place 

6 


114      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

on  a  stool  in  a  little  cuddy  made  for  her 
in  the  hay  mow  by  Mr.  Alden.  She  shouted 
at  the  joy  of  others  and  none  were  happier 
than  she ! 

The  young  folks,  remembering  that  John 
Alden  and  Aunt  Patience  were  looking  on, 
gave  the  Crones  a  full  share  of  the  sport. 


CHAPTER  VIH. 

AFTER   THE   HUSKING. 

THE  Aldeii  Farm  husking  had  cost  its 
owner  something.  Patience  and  the  children 
had  worked  hard  to  get  ready  the  feast. 
The  extra  bill  at  the  grocery  was  not  small. 
The  work  of  the  next  day  in  "  righting  up 
things,"  was  considerable.  Yet  none  con- 
cerned felt  or  thought  that  there  had  been 
any  work.  Love  lightens  burdens  as  to 
huskings  as  well  as  more  important  matters, 
and  all  had  engaged  in  it  with  hearty  good 
will. 

"  Now,"  shouted  Carver,  "  hurrah  for  school ! 
That  heap  of  corn  lay  in  our  track !  I  guess 
we'll  give  the  boys  a  sweat  at  school  this 
winter.  Do  you  know  though  we  are  to 

115 


116      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

have  a  new  teacher  this  winter,  a  real  smart 
one  they  say,  who  knows  as  much  as  a  min- 
ister, and  not  the  old  Granny  we  had  last 
winter." 

"Well,  Carve,"  replied  Miles,  "I'm  glad 
if  our  new  master  is  smart,  but  you  needn't 
call  our  good  Master  Paul  a  granny.  It's 
kind  of  mean  to  kick  a  worn  out  horse  be- 
cause he  don't  draw  as  much  as  a  young 
one.  Father  says  that  all  he  knows  about 
ciphering  he  owes  to  Master  Paul,  and  I'll 
bet  father  can  cipher  better  than  some  young 
schoolmasters ! " 

Carver  blushed  at  this  deserved  reproof, 
and  like  all  manly,  right-minded  boys,  took 
the  correction  kindly.  "You're  right,  Miles!" 
he  said  mildly.  "  Master  Paul  is  good,  and 
knows  lots." 

The  younger  children  had  to  run  to  the 
corn  house  to  take  a  look  at  the  great  bin 
full  of  corn,  and  then  to  the  barn  floor  to 
assure  themselves  that  the  "big  heap"  had 


AFTER  THE   HUSKING.  117 

gone.  When  they  had  fully  assured  their 
wondering  minds  of  these  important  facts, 
which  they  knew  well  enough  the  night  be- 
fore, they  all  shouted  "hurrah!"  Jeremiah 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  barn  floor,  and 
took  his  best  position  and  put  on  his  most 
important  air,  and  exclaimed,  "Look  here, 
cows  ! "  All  the  cows  looked  of  course  — 
twenty  of  them, —  all  having  just  eaten  their 
breakfast,  and  so  they  had  nothing  else  to 
do  but  look  at  Master  Jerry,  and  listen. 
"Look  a-here,  cows,  'oo  may  have  all  'em 
corn  'usks  up  there,  and  nobody  else  shan't 
have  any ! " 

"  Old  Briudle "  threw  up  her  head,  which 
was  her  way  of  saying  "  thank  you  ! "  and 
"Spot,"  a  hearty  young  miss  who  didn't 
know  when  she  had  eaten  enough,  turned 
her  eye  up  to  the  husks,  as  much  as  to 
say,  "  Give  us  some  now,  Master  Jerry." 
But  Jeremiah  darted  out  of  the  barn,  like 
a  summer  bird  which  had  flown  in  to  twitter 


118       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

for  a  moment,  and  then  fly  off  to  its  mate 
in  the  tree  top. 

If  the  children  of  Alden  Farm  were  happy 
so  were  the  older  folks.  When  John  and 
Patience  drew  about  the  evening  lamp,  they 
talked  over  the  incidents  and  results  of  the 
husking.  Not  a  word  was  said  of  the  work 
which  had  been  done  in  transferring  the  corn 
from  the  barn  floor  to  the  corn  house.  That 
they  appreciated,  but  there  were  other  mat- 
ters more  on  their  minds. 

"I  do  hope,"  said  Patience,  "that  the 
Crone  boys  will  fall  in  love  with  husking 
without  liquor,  and  never  get  drunk  again. 
Oh,  if  they  could  be  taught  courage  to  do 
right  !" 

"They  went  home  with  new  resolutions 
to  be  somebody,  or  I  cannot  read  human 
nature.  But,  Patience,  did  you  see  William 
Treat?  yes,  Treat  remained  to  the  last,  drank 
the  coffee  and  went  home  sober  and  with 
his  wife  ?  " 


AFTER  THE  HUSKING.  119 

This  was  spoken  with  so  unusual  warmth 
for  Mr.  Alden,  that  his  wife  looked  up  calm- 
ly from  her  work,  and  remarked  slowly  aud 
seriously,  "How  often  are  the  resolutions  of 
the  drunkard  like  the  early  dew,  soon  gone  ! 
God  grant  that  William  may  become  a  sober 
man.  He  only  knows  how  much  his  family 
have  suffered  I " 

"  Didn't  Parson  Curtis  speak  out ! "  said 
John,  starting  from  his  chair  with  joyful 
excitement,  and  beginning  to  walk  the  room. 

"I  see,"  said  Patience,  smiling  at  her  hus- 
band's warmth,  "nothing  but  good  to  come 
of  our  minister's  remarks.  Let  us  thank 
God,  John." 

The  great  family  Bible  was  taken  from 
the  stand  earlier  than  usual.  The  children 
drew  about  their  parents  with  fixed  and  lov- 
ing eyes.  It  seemed  to  them  that  the  pre- 
cious Word  never  sounded  so  pleasantly  from 
their  father's  lips.  When  they  were  all  bowed 
in  prayer,  there  was  a  sweet  tenderness  in 


120       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

the  petition  for  the  family  of  Ezekiel  Crone, 
and  for  the  complete  and  permanent  refor- 
mation of  William  Treat. 

"I  mean  to  help  Zeke  Crone  in  his  les- 
sons this  winter,"  whispered  Carver  to  his 
brother,  as  they  rose  to  their  feet. 

"I'll  choose  Tom  on  my  side  when  we  are 
playing,"  replied  Miles,  in  a  subdued  voice. 

Such  was  the  spirit  which  prevailed  at  the 
Alden  Farm  after  the  husking.  Let  us  look 
in  upon  some  others  who  were  there. 

"  Mr.  Crone,"  said  Jerusha  Crone  to  her 
husband,  as  they  drew  up  to  their  great 
back-log,  which  sent  out  its  cheerful  light 
and  heat  over  the  large  kitchen.  Ezekiel 
Crone  looked  at  his  wife  lovingly  and  lis- 
tened. He  felt  in  a  pleasant  frame  of  mind, 
and  there  was  a  cheerful  expression  about 
the  face  of  his  wife,  though  tinged  by  a 
slight  shade  of  sadness.  "Mr.  Crone,  didu't 
John  Aldeu  have  good  luck  as  usual,  to- 
night?" 


AFTER  THE   HUSKING.  121 

"He  certainly  did,"  said  Ezekicl.  There 
was  now  a  pause,  and  both  looked  into  the 
fire.  They  neither  knew  why,  but  somehow 
both  felt  an  embarrassment  in  speaking  freely 
of  the  afternoon  and  evening.  Zeke  and 
Tom  tarried  unnecessarily  long  at  the  barn 
where  they  had  been  to  put  up  the  horse 
and  to  see  if  all  was  right.  When  they 
came  into  the  long  woodshed  which  opened 
into  the  kitchen,  they  lingered,  but  their 
cheerful  chat,  and  occasional  suppressed  but 
hearty  laugh  were  plainly  heard,  and  declared 
their  state  of  mind.  The  neighbor  who  had 
come  to  stay  with  the  little  ones,  give  them 
their  supper  and  put  them  to  bed,  had  re- 
turned home.  "When  the  boys  reached  the 
kitchen,  their  happy  spirit  still  sparkled  and 
run  over,  and  for  once,  they  met  with  no 
reproof  for  it.  The  family  prayers  were 
briefly  offered,  and  soon  after  the  whole 
family  had  retired,  and  the  midnight  still- 
ness had  stolen  upon  the  sleeping  household. 


122       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAKM. 

For  many  days  there  was  with  the  parents 
an  absorbing,  and  in  some  respects,  a  pain- 
ful thinking.  With  Zeke  and  Tom  there 
was  an  incessant  happy  talking.  "Tom,"  said 
Zeke,  as  they  trudged  along  to  school  on 
the  Monday  morning  of  its  opening,  "do  you 
think  we  are  to  have  a  new  teacher !  A  real 
smart  one,  they  say,  that's  got  more  learn- 
ing in  his  head  than  would  split  3rourn  and 
mine  open ! " 

"Yes,"  replied  Tom.  "There  will  be  one 
new  scholar,  too  ! " 

"Wuo's  that,  Tom?"  said  Zeke,  stopping 
and  putting  his  hand  on  his  brother's  shoul- 
der. 

"It's  this  boy,"  replied  Tom,  straightening 
up  as  if  able  to  look  down  upon  his  older 
brother.  "Wan't  we  somebody  at  the  husk- 
ing, Zeke?  didn't  we  help  Jane  Curtis  beat 
the  minister's  wife,  and  didn't  all  the  folks 
allow  we  were  smart  boys?  I  never  knew  it 
though,  before,  Zeke,  for  mother  always  said 


AFTER  THE  HUSKING.  123 

we  were  lazy  louts,  that  never  could  be  any- 
body ;  but  John  Alden  told  us  just  to  do 
right,  and  hold  our  heads  up  with  the  very 
best." 

"You're  right,  Tom,"  said  Zeke,  "only 
there's  to  be  two  new  scholars.  I  believe 

that  it's   their   father's    and   mother's   talk   at 

• 

home,  that's  about  all  of  it  in  making  Car- 
ver and  Miles  Alden  so  smart  at  school. 
And,"  added  Zeke,  putting  his  mouth  close 
to  his  brother's  ear,  and  whispering,  with 
deep  emotion,  "seems  to  me  Crone's  Corner 
has  been  more  like  Alden  Farm  since  the 
husking." 

Tom  did  not  stop  to  reply,  for  he  saw 
the  Alden  boys  coming  up  the  lane  from 
their  home,  with  their  satchels  in  one  hand, 
and  each  leading  a  sister  with  the  other. 
When  they  saw  the  Crone  boys  they  let 
go  their  sisters'  hands  and  run,  so  that  the 
boys  went  racing  towards  each  other.  Zeke 
and  Tom  looked  the  new  scholars,  as  they 


124  THE    LUCK   OF   ALDEN   FAIiM. 

walked  with  their  Alden  friends  towards  the 
school-house. 

We  will  leave  the  boys  for  a  while.  It 
will  take  a  little  time — a  few  weeks  at  least, 
for  those  of  each  family  to  work  out,  and 
test  by  experiments  their  new  formed  reso- 
lutions,— the  one  to  be  helpers  of  the  feeble, 
and  the  others  to  learn  the  hard  lessons  of 

self-reliance   in   doing^  right. 

***** 

"How  good  it  seems,  William,"  said  Hul- 
dah,  the  wife  of  William  Treat,  on  the  night 
in  which  they  retired  from  the  husking  to- 
gether—  "How  good  it  seems  to  have  you 
come  home  with  us,  and"  —  Huldah  stopped 
suddenly  and  looked  her  husband  in  the  face, 
as  if  fearing  to  add  "and  not  drunk  as 
usual."  The  tear  stood  on  her  face  as  she 
missed  the  angry  flash  of  a  demoniac  eye, 
and  looked  into,  instead,  the  calm,  affection- 
ate countenance  of  her  once  loving,  devoted 
husband. 


AFTER   THE   HUSKING.  125 

"Say  it,  wife,"  he  Padded  —  "not  drunk! 
Fool  that  I  have  been !  No  rum  at  the 
husking  to-night !  No  swearing  nor  fighting 
when  it  broke  up !  Huldah,  didn't  John 
Alden's  lanterns  light  up  the  old  barn  glori- 
ously !  Wasn't  everybody  brimming  over 
with  good  feeling !  Why,  Huldah,  John  Al- 
den's folks,  and  the  parson's  folks,  and  the 
deacon's  folks,  treated  Bill  Treat  as  if  he 
was  worth  saving  —  and  —  Huldah  —  do  you 
think,"  —  and  the  penitent  seeker  of  divine 
strength  to  lead  a  new  life,  buried  his  face 
in  his  hands  and  cried  aloud. 

"I  think,  my  dear  husband  —  I  know,  that 
by  God's  help,  you  can  be  a  new  man ! " 

After  a  few  moments,  in  which  a  measure 
of  composure  came  to  both,  Huldah  took 
from  a  side  table  the  family  Bible.  On  the 
little  stand,  drawn  towards  the  fire,  she  laid 
it,  where,  in  other  days,  before  the  Rum 
Fiend  had  entered  their  family,  it  had  been 
laid,  morning  and  evening,  and  read  at  the 


126       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

hours  of  family  devotion.  "You  did  not 
mean,  Huldah,  for  me  to  read  and  pray, 
to-night,  wicked  as  I  am ! " 

"Yes,  dear,"  said  Huldah,  in  a  tone  and 
with  a  countenance  of  tender  entreaty.  ""What 
better  can  you  do  than  to  look  into  God's 
Word  to  learn  the  way  back  to  him,  and 
to  pray  to  him  to  forgive  and  heal  you?" 

Whether  by  accident  or  design,  William 
did  not  know,  but  when  Huldah  laid  the 
Bible  upon  the  stand  it  opened  at  the  fifty- 
first  Psalm.  The  prodigal  read  on  with  a 
melted  and  broken  heart.  When  he  came 
to  the  verse,  "Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins, 
and  blot  out  all  mine  iniquities,"  he  dropped 
his  face  upon  the  open  Bible,  and  cried, 
sobbing,  "Do,  Lord!" 

Huldah  kneeled  at  the  stand,  reached  up 
her  hands  and  put  them  upon  her  husband's 
head  and  whispered  the  promises  in  his  ear : 
"Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall 
be  as  wool,  though  they  be  red  like  crimson, 


AFTER   THE   HUSKING.  127 

they  shall  be  white  as  snow."  "Blessed  be 
God  who  forgiveth  our  iniquities  and  healeth 
all  our  diseases."  "But  when  the  prodigal 
was  yet  a  great  way  off,  his  father  saw  him, 
and  had  compassion,  and  ran,  and  fell  on 
his  neck  and  kissed  him."  The  spirit  of 
enduring,  wifely,  Christian  affection,  gave  a 
wonderful  sweetness  to  her  utterance  of  these 
divine  words,  and  the  spirit  of  the  forgiving 
Saviour  gave  them  power  to  heal. 

While  the  angels  were  rejoicing  over  the 
repentance  of  William  Treat,  there  were 
those  indulging  towards  the  gathering  in 
John  Alden's  barn,  a  very  different  feeling. 
Dr.  Burt  was  not  present,  but  when  he 
heard  what  sentiments  his  pastor  had  there 
uttered,  he  hurried  away  to  Deacon  Prime's. 
The  deacon  was  the  senior  official  bearing 
that  title.  He  was  an  old  man,  and  was 
seldom  now  seen  in  the  gatherings  of  God's 
people.  He  had  been  very  jealous  in  his 
day,  for  the  iutregrity  of  the  church  over 


128       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

which  he  was  set  as  an  under-shepherd.  His 
jealously  had  been  mainly  exhibited  in  hunt- 
ing for  heresy  through  the  sermons,  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  for  flaws  in  the  government 
of  their  children  on  the  part  of  the  parents 
among  the  church  members.  He  had  studied 
theology  under  an  old  divine,  six  weeks,  in 
his  early  manhood,  aiming  to  be  a  preacher. 
This  admirably  qualified  him  to  hunt  heresy. 
He  never  had  children  of  his  own,  which 
was  an  equally  admirable  qualification  for 
him,  and  his  amiable  wife,  to  tell  Christian 
parents  how  to  bring  up  their  households. 
To  the  good  deacon  Dr.  Burt  went  with  his 
heavy  heart. 

"Deacon,"  said  the  doctor,  seating  himself 
at  a  little  stand  on  which  the  never  failing 
mug  of  hard  cider  was  sitting  —  "deacon,  I 
feel  our  church  is  getting  into  a  bad  way ! " 

"I  fear  so  too,"  said  the  deacon.  "The 
doctrines  an't  preached  as  they  used  to  be. 
The  members  are  sadly  remiss  in  correcting 


AFTER   THE   HUSKING.  129 

their  children ;  '  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the 
child,'  is  the  text  I've  tried  for  forty  years 
to  impress  upon  the  fathers  and  mothers  of 
the  parish.  I've  even  offered,  in  some  cases, 
to  do  the  whipping  of  the  youngsters  for 
their  parents,  and  they  were  ungrateful 
enough  to  tell  me  to  mind  my  own  .business. 
I  agree  with  you,  doctor,  that  our  church 
is  in  a  bad  way." 

"Yes,"  said  the  doctor,  solemnly,  and  our 
pastor  has  been  to  John  Alden's  husking, 
and  —  "  • 

"There  it  is,"  interposed  the  deacon. 
"John's  a  good  kind  of  a  man,  but  he's 
been  and  got  one  of  them  ere  stoves,  and 
bricked  up  the  fire-place  of  his  father  and 
grandsir !  I  do  think  it's  wicked,  doctor, 
to  do  so.  Children  should  have  more  re- 
spect for  them  that's  gone." 

"I  was  saying,"  continued  the  doctor,  "that 
our  good  minister — for  I  do  believe  he  means 
to  be  good, —  went  to  John  Alden's  husking, 


130      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

where  John  had  set  a  table  without-  liquor. 
John  in  so  doing  had  reflected  upon  my 
professional  judgment,  which  is,  as  is  quite 
generally  known,  that  liquor  is  one  of  God's 
good  creatures,  to  be  used  lawfully.  Now 
I  hold  that  Mr.  Curtis  should  not  have 
countenanced  him  in  so  doing." 

"You're  right,"  said  the  deacon,  taking 
up  the  mug  of  cider  and  drinking  heartily. 

"What's  to  become  of  the  doctor's  author- 
ity over  young  people  in  leading  them  into 
right  habits  concerning  their  health  and 
morals,  if  farmers  are  to  be  encouraged  in 
opposing  them?" 

"And  what's  to  become  of  deacons  too?" 
said  the  old  gentleman,  pushing  the  mug  of 
cider  towards  the  doctor,  who  nodded  his 
thanks  and  drank  lustily. 

"But  that's  not  all,  deacon,"  continued  the 
doctor,  "  nor  the  worst  of  it.  Mr.  Curtis 
made  a  speech,  in  which  he  commended  John 
Alden's  ultra  notions,  and  declared  that  no- 


AFTEK  THE   HUSKING.  131 

body  ought  to  touch  a  bit  of  liquor  of  any 
kind  who  is  not  sick  !  and  that's  the  gospel 
we  are  to  have  preached  to  us  ! " 

"  Dreadful !  "  said  the  deacon  ;  "  we  must 
have  a  parish  meeting  called  right  off." 

While  the  deacon  and  the  doctor  were 
maturing  plans  to  stop  the  alarming  devel- 
opments of  the  temperance  fanaticism  of 
Alden  Farm,  Moses  Pond  came  in.  He  came 
rather  unceremoniously,  having  knocked  and 
answered  ^  his  own  call  most  promptly.  Mose 
was  decidedly  drunk, —  that  is,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  conservatives,  had  been  drink- 
ing "somewhat  indiscreetly."  "Sit  down, 
Moses,"  said  the  deacon,  "  the  doctor  and  I 
are  considering  important  parish  affairs." 

"Yes,"  hiccoughed  Mose,  "and  that's  what 
I  come  for.  Things  are  getting  alarming 
down  there  to  John  Alden's  house.  Not 
that  I  believe  in  taking  too  much,  though 
the  best  of  us  —  yes,  deacon  —  you  know, — 
I  say  deacon  the  best  of  us  will  err  some- 
times, and  be  a  little  indiscreet. — " 


132       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Be  silent,  Moses,"  interposed  the  doctor, 
"  my  professional  duties  require  me  to  be 
in  haste.  I  must  finish  without  interruption, 
my  business  with  the  deacon." 

This  was  spoken  in  a  majesterial  manner, 
and  Mose  subsided  into  quiet. 

"I  leave  you,  deacon,  whose  office  it  is, 
with  your  colleague,  to  direct  in  stopping  this 
growing  evil.  Our  good  friend  Alden,  will, 
I  trust,  by  proper  church  labor,  be  made  to 
see  .the  wrong  of  his  well  intended  course, 
and  —  " 

"There,  now,  doctor!"  exclaimed  Mose, 
rising  and  approaching  him  with  extended 
hand,  "I  know'd  you'n  the  deacon  was  on 
our  side,  and  I  told  the  tavern  folks  so  — " 

"/Sit  dotvn,  sir,"  shouted  the  doctor,  bring- 
ing his  foot  down  on  the  kitchen  floor  so 
violently,  that  the  dishes  rattled  in  the  old 
cupboard  in  the  corner. 

"  You're  leetlc  hard,  doctor,  on  your 
friends,  what  thinks  as  you  do,"  muttered 


AFTER   THE   HUSKING.  133 

Mose,  sidling  away  to  the  cider,  of  which 
he  took  a  large  potation.  "Deacon,"  he  said 
patronizingly,  patting  him  on  the  shoulder, 
and  whispering  in  his  ear,  "your  cider's  the 
best  in  town.  It's  got  the  real  grit  to  it ! 
It's  eeny  most  as  good  as  the  tavern  rum." 

The  doctor  left,  and  the  deacon  gave  his 
attention  to  Moses.  "It  is  plain,"  said  the 
deacon,  "that  you  have  been  taking  too 
much.  I'm  agin  that,  as  much  as  anybody. 
I  say,  Moses,  to  your  face,  that  it  is 
ivicked."  The  last  word  was  uttered  with 
such  emphasis,  that  it  brought  Moses  to  his 
feet. 

"Now  don't  be  too  hard  on  a  fellow  that's 
on  your  side  in  the  fight  agin  the  Alden 
folks.  I  have  —  I  confess  it  —  I  will,  dea- 
con—  confess  —  I'm — I'm  no  hypocrite — I've 
taken  a  leeile  too  much,  and  I  won't  —  no, 
deacon,  I  won't  take  too  much,  agin.  I'll 
be  very  prudent.  So,  if  you  please,  I'll 
take  a  drop  of  your  cider,  and  be  going. 


134       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

There    now,    deacon,    I   prououce    that  —  yes 

—  it's  in  my  opinion  the  best  cider  in  town 

—  it's  as  good,  any  time, —  yes,   as   good   as 
the  tavern  rum.     That,  you  know, —  between 
you  and  I, —  that's  jest  a  leetle  watered." 

Moses  Pond  left,  greatly  to  the  relief  of 
the  deacon.  The  good  man  kept  repeating 
to  his  wife,  what,  he  said,  he  had  always 
preached,  both  by  precept  and  practice,  that 
such  drinkers  as  Moses  Pond  were  wicked 
men,  and  their  example  was  very  bad.  Every 
time  the  deacon  repeated  this,  he  said  it 
with  more  emphasis.  He  felt  that  he  must 
repel  the  sermon  preached  to  him  against 
his  principles  and  practice  on  the  temper- 
ance question,  by  the  presence  and  agree- 
ment of  Moses  Pond.  The  ghost  of  his 
reproof  would  not  down ! 

"Have  you  had  a  satisfactory  call  on  the 
good  deacon,  Prime?"  said  Dr.  Burt's  wife 
to  him,  as  he  rather  peevishly  threw  aside 
his  coat  and  gloves. 


AFTER   THE    HUSKING.  135 

Very,"  was  the  reply,  "only  Moses  Pond 
came  in,  beastly  drunk,  to  interrupt  our  con- 
sultation.    Such  fellows  do  annoy  me  greatly." 
"Oh,  pooh!"   said  his  wife,  "Moses  is  no- 
body." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

• 

THE  NEW  SCHOOLMASTER. 

WINTER  was  reigning  over  New  England. 
He  had  dropped  his  robe  of  white  over  fields 
and  forests.  He  had  frozen  up  the  mead- 
ows, and  made  a  solid  foundation  over  which 
the  farmer  might  drive  his  team.  He  had 
sealed  over  the  pond,  for  the  boys  to  skate 
and  the  girls  to  slide.  He  had  spread  his 
level  covering  over  the  brush  and  smaller 
obstacles  in  the  woods,  to  the  farmer's  sled. 
The  wood  choppers  were  busy,  in  their 
frocks  and  heavy  boots,  loading  the  teams, 
before  furious  winds  should  pile  up  the  snow 
and  lay  bare  the  ground.  While  the  chop- 
pers scattered  the  chips  with  the  vigorous 
blows  of  the  axe,  or  thrashed  their  brawny 

136 


THE   NEW   SCHOOLMASTEK.  137 

hands,  and  stamped  their  feet,  shouting  joy- 
ously to  the  echoing  woods,  the  wood-peck- 
ers answered  with  a  busy,  peck !  peck !  and 
the  crow  with  an  insolent,  caw !  caw !  The 
squirrels  for  the  most  of  the  time,  kept 
house,  nibbling  frugally  at  their  winter  store 
of  fruit,  and  wondering  what  the  use  was 
of  having  snow  to  bury  up  the  nuts.  The 
rabbits  left  their  clumsy  tracks  on  the  yield- 
ing snow,  as  they  hopped  from  place  to 
place,  nipping  at  whatever  the  frosty  winter 
had  left  eatable,  listening  the  while  with 
their  great  ears.  The  fox  roused  up  in  his 
den,  and  wondered  at  the  din  of  men,  birds 
and  beasts,  and  said,  in  his  foxy  way, 
"When  you  are  all  still,  and  welcome  night 
has  come,  I'll  be  round!"  But  none  were 
happier  than  John  Alden.  The*  breeze  which 
his  raising  and  husking  had  stirred  up  in 
the  parish,  did  not  excite  his  resentment,  nor 
annoy  him.  No  drunken  neighbor  came  to 
his  house  to  claim  affiliation  with  his  prin- 


138      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

ciples  or  practice.  No  accusing  ghost  of 
conscience  had  to  be  talked  down.  John 
Alden's  joyous  feeling  run  over  even,  at 
times,  and  in  one  of  these  moods  he  de- 
clared to  Patience  that  she  had,  during  the 
last  year,  grown  younger,  smarter  and  hand- 
somer than  ever !  Patience  did  not  return 
the  compliment,  as  her  husband  declared 
afterwards,  he  desired  she  should,  but  said 
in  her  quiet  way,  "John,  you  always  was  a 
boy,  and  you  always  will "  be  a  boy  ! " 

We  left  the  boys  of  Alden  Farm  and 
Crone's  Corner  going  into  school.  Several 
weeks'  experience  has  given  them  some  ac- 
quaintance with  the  new  master,  and  the 
kind  of  stuff  their  own  good  purposes  were 
made  of. 

George  Everett,  the  teacher,  was  a  young 
man  about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
was  quiet  and  self-relying  in  school,  never 
seeming  disturbed,  however  suddenly  any 
annoying  conduct  was  sprung  upon  him,  and 


THE   NEW    SCHOOLMASTER.  139 

never  appearing  at  loss  what  %to  do  in  an 
emergency.  His  education  was  superior  for 
his  years  and  for  those  times,  and  to  his 
scholars,  his  knowledge,  seemed  immense. 
His  calm,  unyielding  purpose  in  enforcing 
discipline,  made  him  a  terror  to  the  insub- 
ordinate, and  his  sincere  interest,  expressed 
by  self-sacrificing  labor  for  the  improvement 
of  his  scholars,  made  him  the  idol  of  those 
ambitious  to  learn. 

Among  the  parents  of  the  town,  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion  prevailed  in  reference  to  the 
success  of  the  young  teacher.  The  friends 
of  master  Paul  thought  that  it  was  a  pity 
that  venerable  man  had  been  set  aside  for 
an  inexperienced  stripling.  Besides,  Mr. 
Everett  had  brought  with  him  some  new  no- 
tions about  teaching,  and  had  introduced  some 
new  text  books.  "  Colburn's  First  Lessons 
in  Arithmetic"  came  now  into  the  school. 
Some  laughed  at  it.  "How  many  fingers 
have  you  got  on  one  hand?  How  many  on 


140      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

both?"  "Pooh!"  they  said,  "who  couldn't 
tell  that?  We  don't  pay  our  money  to  a 
teacher  to  be  spent  in  larnin'  our  children 
how  many  fingers  .they  have  got."  Others, 
who  dipped  into  it  a  little,  said,  "It's  got 
no  rules  nor  ciphering.  Who  ever  heard  of 
a  'Rithmetic  without  ciphering !  It  hasn't 
got  no  'rule  of  three.'"  It  was  as  foolish 
as  John  Alden's  stove,  and  as  radical  as  his 
temperance  notions. 

The  first  evening  that  Carver  and  Miles 
brought  home  their  "Colburn,"  they  were 
full  of  glee  about  it. 

"Carver,"  said  Miles,  "there  is  some  hitch 
about  this  Arithmetic,  I  do  believe." 

"What  makes  you  think  so,  Miles?" 

"Why,  when  the  master  heard  the  boys 
'at  recess,  laughing  at  it,  he  looked  real 
funny ;  and  when  school  was  dismissed  he 
heard  Zeke  Crone  say  he  was  going  to  go 
through  it,  and  learn  it  all  by  heart,  he 
laughed  right  out,  and  said  that  Ezekiel  had 


THE   NEW  SCHOOLMASTER.  141 

not  studied,  he  guessed,  more  than  two  pages 
of  it." 

"Well,  Miles,  here's  a  boy  that  means  to 
examine  Mr.  Colburn's  book,  and  see  whether 
he  knows  as  much  about  Arithmetic  as  your 
Ezekiel  Crone,  of  that  noted  place,  Crone's 
Corner." 

"And  here's  a  young  man,"  said  Miles, 
slipping  his  barn  frock  over  his  head,— 
"bother  this  frock,"  he  suddenly  exclaimed, 
pulling  it  back  again,  and  fumbling  about 
for  the  sleeve,  forgetting  at  the  same  time 
the  funny  thing  he  was  going  to  say  in 
reply  to  his  brother.  "  Bother  this  frock ! " 
he  again  exclaimed,  setting  his  milk  pail 
down,  and  going  to  work  more  deliberately 
to  see  why  the  frock  would  not  go  on. 

"You  mean,  Miles,"  said  his  mother,  ap- 
proaching him  in  her  calm  and  quiet  way, 
"that  the  frock  'bothers'  you.  There,  my 
son,  it's  all  right  now.  You  had  turned 
one  sleeve  inside  out,  when  you  took  it  off 


142       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

to  put  on  your  school  frock.  I  suppose  you 
was  in  the  same  hot  haste  then  that  you 
are  now.  Run  now,  or  Carver  will  beat 
you  in  milking,  and  don't  say  'bother  it.' 
It  may  lead  to  a  worse  word." 

"Thank  you,  mother,"  said  Miles,  catching 
up  his  milk  pail  and  darting  out  of  the 
kitchen  door.  He  found  his  brother  with 
one  cow  about  half  milked. 

"I'll  beat  you  to-night,  Miles,"  said  Carver. 

"Bother  —  no,  this  old  frock  bothered  me 
so,"  said  Miles,  a  little  vexed. 

"Yes,  and  I  saw  you  bother  the  frock  this 
morning  when  you  stripped  it  off  in  such  a 
hurry  to  beat  me  in  getting  ready  for  school," 
said  Carver,  laughing. 

Miles  seated  himself  on  his  "milking- 
block,"  subsided  into  a  calm  frame  of  mind, 
and  began  to  philosophize  a  little.  •  "It's  no 
use,  I  see,  to  be  in  such  a  hurry,"  he  said, 
in  a  low  tone,  as  if  talking  to  the  cow  he 
was  milking.  "It  only  puts  a  fellow  into 


THE   NEW   SCHOOLMASTER.  143 

a  fret.  I'll  be  as  cool  as  my  mother,  and 
by" —  he  was  about  to  say  —  "by  jingo, 
I'll  be  as  smart,"  but  his  mother's  chiding 
about  "idle  words,"  checked  him,  and  he 
simply  but  emphatically  added  —  "I  wish  I 
could  be  as  smart." 

When  the  "chores"  were  all  done,  the 
supper  eaten,  and  the  family  prayers,  which 
immediately  followed,  were  offered,  Carver 
and  Miles  soon  became  absorbed  in  Colburu. 
The  lesson  was  a  long  one,  carrying  the  boys 
through  the  simple  questions  of  the  multi- 
plication table,  into  the  deeper  mysteries  of 
that  wonderful  little  book. 

"Mr.  Colburn  is  somebody,"  whispered 
Miles,  when  he  considered  his  lesson  learned. 

"His  book  isn't  such  very  great  things 
yet,"  said  Carver,  rather  grandly,  as  he  laid 
Colburn  aside  for  "  Murray's  First  Lessons " 
in  grammar. 

When  the  boys  had  returned  from  school, 
their  father  took  up  one  of  the  Colburns. 


144      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

He  read  quietly,  on  and  on,  looking  for  a 
while  rather  skeptical  about  this  new  way 
of  learning  Arithmetic.  He  was  considered 
one  of  the  best  "cipherers"  among  his  towns- 
men. He  had  mastered  the  "Rule  of  three," 
the  second  and  'last  winter  he  ever  attended 
school.  "Reckoning"  was  his  hobby,  .and 
in  this  he  was  almost-  equal  to  the  minister, 
about  as  smart  as  the  squire,  and  "the  beat, 
any  day,"  of  the  doctor.  The  more  Mr. 
Alden  studied  the  more  he  became  inter- 
ested. Weeks  of  the  school  term  passed 
away,  and  the  Alden  boys  had  settled  down 
into  hard  study  over  their  Colburn. 

"John,"  said  Patience,  one  evening,  laying 
down  little  Rachel's  frock,  on  which  she  had 
been  busily  sewing,  "  what  is  there  about 
that  child's  Arithmetic  that  interests  you  so? 
Are  you  getting  ready  to  teach  the  'ma'am's 
school '  next  summer  ?  " 

.  "Patience,"  said  John,  with  one  of  his 
very  quizzical  looks,  "  let's  hear  you  do  this 


THE   NEW    SCHOOLMASTER.  145 

sum —  right  off  now,    iii  your  mind,  and  no 
ciphering "  —  and    then    he    gave    out,    "  Six 

eights  of  ninety-six  are  how  many  sixths  of 

• 

twenty-four  ?  " 

"Pooh!  John,"  said  Patience,  dryly,  "that's 
nothing  for  anybody  that's  been  studying  it 
two  weeks,  every  night  except  Saturday  and 
Sunday  night." 

John  acknowledged  the  justice  of  his  wife's 
answer,  and  proceeded  to  enlighted  her  in 
the  process  of  solving  this  puzzling  question. 
Patience,  who  when  a  girl  had  "hated  frac- 
tions," began  to  see  a  little  daylight  shining 
through  them.  Her  husband  was  delighted 
with  the  interest  manifested  by  his  scholar. 
It  became  a  new  stimulus  in  his  study,  and 
he  plunged  deeper  into  the  mysteries  of  the 
sensational  book.  At  first  he  studied  slyly, 
after  the  boys  had  laid  the  book  aside.  He 
now  had  them  arrange  their  lessons  the  first 
hours  of  the  long  winter  evenings,  so  that 
he  might  get  his  lesson. 

10 


146       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Carve,"  whispered  Miles,  one  evening, 
"father  ought  to  recite  his  lesson.  Who 
knows  whether  he  gets  the  answer  to  these 
crooked  questions?" 

"Maybe,"  said  Carver,  with  a  knowing  look 
at  his  brother,  "you'd  better  ask  him  to  re- 
cite to  you." 

"Guess  I'll  study  awhile  first,"  replied 
Miles. 

Two  weeks  more  passed  away,  and  Miles 
had  become  quite  confident  in  his  knowledge 
of  Colburn. 

"Father,"  he  said  one  evening,  in  that 
playful  manner  which  the  children  of  Alden 
Farm  learned  of  their  parents,  "you  don't 
have  to  recite.  I  tell  you,  Master  Everett 
puts  us  through  I  " 

"Well,"  said  his  father,  in  an  easy  kind 
of  way,  "put  me  through,  Miles, —  only  don't 
go  quite  through  the  book." 

"Oh,"  said  Miles,  beginning  already  to 
back  down,  "we  haven't  been  half  way 
through  yet!" 


THE   NEW   SCHOOLMASTEE.  147 

"He'll  put  you  through  before  the  play's 
over,"  whispered  Carver.  But  Miles  was  not 
to  be  put  down  without  a  trial.  He  plied 
his  father  with  questions  which  he  had  just 
conquered,  with  some  promptings  from  his 
teacher.  His  father  went  through  them  to 
the  children's  astonishment,  and  the  delight 
of  Patience,  who  began  to  catch  some  of  her 
husband's  enthusiasm.  The  younger  children 
listened  wonderingly,  and  queried  if  they 
would  ever  know  so  much.  Miles  soon  gave 
up  trying  to  teach  his  father,  and  excused 
himself  when  asked  by  him  to  answer  ques- 
tions he  did  not  know,  by  saying,  "We 
haven't  got  to  such  questions  yet." 

But  John  Alden  soon  got  beyond  his  depth. 
Yes,  the  little  book,  at  which  the  boys  had 
laughed,  and  the  "knowing  ones"  had  sneered, 
had  defied,  as  he  advanced,  his  patient  thought 
and  persistent  puzzling.  It  was  in  vain  that 
he  scratched  his  head,  tipped  back  in  his 
great  arm-chair,  gazed  at  the  ceiling,  as  if 


148       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

there  was  some  wonderful  thing  up  there, 
and  thought.  John  Alden  was  a  great  think- 
er, but  Colburn  had  drowned  his  deepest 
thoughts,  even  in  his  First  Lessons. 

Carver  and  Miles  enjoyed  their  father's  per- 
plexity. It  was  fun  to  them,  because  he  was 
always  running  over  with  good  nature  in 
such  perplexities.  They  enjoyed  it  too,  be- 
cause their  father  generally  found  a  way  out 
of  such  corners,  after  a  while. 

"It  seems  to  me,  John,"  said  his  wife 
one  evening,  when  he  had  spent  much  time 
puzzling  over  Colburn,  "that  a  good  deal 
of  precious  time  goes  with  that  Arithmetic. 
You  haven't  read  much  of  any  to  me  this 
winter,  in  "Watts  on  the  Mind,  nor  more 
than  half  through  The  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
You  have  read  them  both  through  every 
winter  before,  since  we  have  been  married." 

John  took  the  reproof  kindly,  went  to  the 
book  case,  took  down  Watt's  on  the  Mind, 
and  read  aloud  for  a  full  hour.  For  a 


THE    NEW   SCHOOLMASTER.  149 

whole  week  his  wife  did  not  see  the  little 
school  book  in  his  hand.  Yet  the  puzzling 
questions  were  in  his  head,  and  he  was  con- 
tinually seeking  their  solution.  One  Satur- 
day he  had  an  errand  in  town,  but  was 
gone  much  longer  than  usual.  He  had 
called  at  his  friend's,  Squire  True's,  where 
the  schoolmaster  boarded.  Whether  he  had 
any  speciar*business  at  the  squire's  we  do 
not  know,  but  we  are  sure  it  was  very  grat- 
ifying to  Mr.  Aldeu  to  make  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  new  schoolmaster,  and  that  it 
was  easy  for  him  to  get  into  a  talk  about 
the  new  lesson  book.  The  teacher  was  sur- 
prised to  find  in  the  farmer  so  much  appre- 
ciation of  the  much  talked  of  innovation  in 
his  method  of  presenting  Arithmetic,  and 
still  more  surprised  when  he  learned  that  he 
had  solved  correctly  most  of  its  questions. 
By  a  little  prompting,  John's  difficulties  van- 
ished, and  he  returned  home,  like  a  captain 
who  had  taken  great  spoils.  That  evening, 


150      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

a  little  while  after  the  evening  study  hours 
had  commenced,  he  took  up  Colburn  for  a 
short  time,  then  slapped  it  together,  laid  it 
upon  the  stand  and  walked  the  floor  with  an 
air  of  triumph ! 

"Father's  conquered  Colburn,"  said  Carver 
to  his  brother,  in  a  low  tone. 

"Yes,  every  bit  of  it,"  replied  Miles,  with- 
out taking  his  eyes  from  his  book. 

The  two  boys  felt  as  soldiers  feel  when 
they  see  their  commanding  officer  rushing 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  They  were 
inspired  to  follow.  Many  were  their  stum- 
blings, and  many  times  they  were  sore  vexed. 
But  "I  can't,"  "It's  no  use  trying,"  "I  mean 
to  ask  father  if  I  may  give  it  up  and  study 
something  else,"  were  expressions  which  never 
escaped  their  lips.  To  be  sure  they  did  get 
a  little  vexed  sometimes,  and  their  heads 
ached  with  trying.  But  their  father's  long 
puzzling,  his  patient,  perplexed,  but  good- 
natured  trying,  and  his  final  air  of  triumph, 


THE   NEW   SCHOOLMASTER.  151 

were  to  them  like  battles  just  won  by  their 
comrades  to  soldiers  now  fighting.  There 
was  victory  in  every  sound,  and  success  was 
breathed  from  the  very  atmosphere  which 
surrounded  them.  John  Alden  had  been 
lucky  again,  and  his  boys  were  declared  by 
all  the  boys,  "the  lucky  fellows  who  always 
come  out  ahead." 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  BEEEZE  AT  CKONE'S  CORNER. 

"I  DO  think,  Jerusha,"  said  Ezekiel  Croiie, 
"that  our  boys  are  getting  along  nicely  at 
school  this  winter.  I  hope  they'll  have  good 
luck  until  it  closes." 

"Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Crone,  "remarkably 
for  them,  and  I  do  think,  and  always  shall, 
though  I  suppose  you'll  give  one  of  your 
provoking  smiles  when  I  say  it,  that  it  was 
my  perseverance  in  teaching  them  the  Cat- 
echism that  gave  them  a  good  start." 

"The  husking  at  John  Alden's,"  timidly 
sii2f£rested  Mr.  Crone. 

oc? 

"There  it  is,"  replied  his  wife.  "You  are 
so  afraid  that  I  shall  have  a  little  credit. 
Alden's  folks  must  always  be  dragged  in. 

152 


A  BREEZE  AT  CKONE's  CORNER.     153 

But  if  anything  goes  wrong  with  the  chil- 
dren you  are  ready  enough  with  your  blame ! 
Then  it's,  'Jerusha,  you  was  too  hasty!'  or, 
'Jerusha,  you  needn't  have  spoken  so!'  but 
I'm  determined  the  boys  shall  get  along  in 
school.  If  they  don't,  they  mustn't  think  I'm 
going  to  put  up  with  it." 

Mr.  Crone  sighed  when  his  wife  began 
this  strain,  like  a  man  who  had  just  heard 
bad  news  concerning  an  absent  friend.  He 
soon  after  looked  very  thoughtful  and  anx- 
ious. But  he  soon  began  to  drum  with  his 
fingers  on  the  table.  He  then  had  resort  to 
his  ever  present  score  book,  in  which  he 
soon  seemed  absorbed. 

Silence  reigned  awhile  in  the  kitchen  of 
Ezekiel  Crone.  The  children  were  all  in 
bed.  The  fire  was  burning  low  on  the 
hearth,  while  the  smouldering  back-log  oc- 
casionally sent  out  a  flickering  flame.  The 
old  clock  in  the  corner  seemed  to  tick  louder 
than  common,  as  if  to  warn  its  master  and 


154      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

mistress  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour.  The 
cat  curled  up  in  the  end  of  the  settle,  sent 
out  her  low,  dreamy  purr. 

"I'm  going  to  bed,  Ezekiel  Crone,"  said 
Jerusha,  suddenly  starting  up,  and  seizing  a 
candle.  "You  may  set  and  poke  over  that 
old  score  book  as  long  as  you  please." 

The  Crone  boys,  Zeke  and  Tom,  were 
astir  early  the  next  morning.  They  had 
planned  to  get  a  little  time  in  the  kitchen 
for  study  before  the  rest  of  the  family  were 
up.  They  were  creeping  softly  down  stairs 
by  the  door  of  the  sleeping  room  of  their 
parents.  But  their  mother's  ear  was  like 
that  of  a  watch-dog,  always  open.  She 
bounded  from  the  bed,  and  opened  the  door. 
"What  mischief  are  you  up  to  now,  you 
young  rogues?"  she  exclaimed.  "Where  are 
you  going  this  time  of  night?" 

"We  are  going  down  into  the  kitchen  to 
study,"  stammered  Zeke.  "The  master  says 
the  Crones  can  learn  as  much  as  anybody, 
if  they  will.  And  we  are  going  to  try." 


A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     155 

"  Going  down  to  study ! "  replied  Mrs. 
Crone,  with  a  sneer,  which  she  could  express 
like  a  practiced  stage  player.  "Going  to 
study ! "  she  repeated  with  a  withering  look 
of  incredulity.  "Your  father  might  believe 
such  stories,  but  you  can't  cheat  me.  My 
closets  have  been  turned  upside  down  too 
many  times  by  having  you  round  before  I'm 
up.  Besides,  you'll  be  setting  the  house  on 
fire.  No,  go  back  to  bed  this  minute,  and 
don't  you  stir  till  your  father  calls  you. 
Then  do  you  get  up  instantly." 

The  old  clock  just  at  this  moment  struck 
four.  Five  o'clock  was  the  customary  hour 
of  winter  rising  at  the  Crones'.  The  boys 
went  -back,  put  off  their  clothes,  re-adjusted 
their  bed,  and  lay  down.  For  a  moment  or 
two  no  word  was  spoken.  Strong  emotions 
of  anger  and  grief  were  struggling  in  their 
hearts  for  mastery,  and  as  usual,  anger  soon 
held  sway. 

"It's  no  use,  I'm  not  agoing  to  try  to 
study,"  muttered  Zeke,  breaking  the  silence. 


156       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Xor  I  either,"  replied  Tom.  "It's  always 
the  way  in  this  house.  If  we  are  going  to 
try  to  do  anything  right,  nobody  will  be- 
lieve us,  and  we  are  accused  of  lying  and 
planning  mischief." 

There  was  silence  for  a  while,  when  Tom 
said,  pensively,  "Zeke,  them  Aldeii  boys  have 
been  real  kind  this  term." 

"Yes,"   replied   Zeke. 

Silence  followed  this  remark,  and  the 
thoughts  of  the  boys  troubled  them.  The 
Alden  boys  had  indeed  been  good  friends, 
prompting  them  when  necessary  in  their 
lessons,  seeking  their  company  in  play,  de- 
feuding  them  against  those  annoyances  which 
low  minds  delight  to  inflict  upon  the  -weak 
and  the  obscure,  and  especially,  speaking 
those  kind  words  of  encouragement,  which 
are  often  better  to  the  halting,  than  great 
riches.  The}r  had  promised  to  call  at  Crone's 
011  their  way  to  school,  on  the  morning  of 
which  we  are  speaking.  It  was  a  full  half 


A  BEEEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     157 

mile  out  of  their  way.  The  Crones,  de- 
lighted with  the  attention  promised,  had 
agreed  to  be  ready  in  good  season,  and 
Zeke  had  added,  "With  good  lessons  all 
learned." 

But  their  case  was  that  of  the  soldier  who 
fights  after  his  army  is  defeated.  Every 
sight  and  sound  is  depressing.  The  air  is 
tainted  with  failure. 

"Hurrah,  boys!"  shouted  the  Aldens,  rush- 
ing into  the  great  kitchen  of  the  Crones, 
carrying  an  influence  like  the  sudden  over- 
flow of  a  spring  freshet  upon  a  frozen 
meadow,  driving  the  frost  before  it,  and 
leaving  springing  grass  and  flowers  behind 
it.  "All  ready,  boys?"  inquired  Carver,  in 
a  quick,  stirring  tone. 

"Most,  wait  a  minute,  Carver,"  replied 
Zeke,  almost  ready  to  burst  into  tears.  "Got 
those  splendid  lessons  you  promised?"  said 
Miles,  and  without  waiting  for  an  answer, 
rattled  on  —  "Carve  and  I  shot  ahead  this 


158       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

morning  with  our  lessons  like  a  rocket.  We 
got  up  real  early,  and  got  more  than  an 
hour  before  chore  time.  We  planned  to 
steal  a  march  on  mother,  so  we  got  the 
wood  and  kindlings  all  ready  the  night  be- 
fore hand.  We  awoke  about  four  o'clock, 
and  crept  down  stairs  as  softly  as  mice,  but 
I  thought  I  heard  mother  laugh  as  we  passed 
the  door  of  her  room,  just  as  she  does  when 
she  thinks  she  has  got  ahead  of  us.  When 
we  reached  the  kitchen,  I'll  bet  there  was 
a  jolly  fire !  Mother  had  been  down,  made 
the  fire,  and  gone  back  to  bed  again." 

"That's  just  like  mother,"  interposed  Car- 
ver, "she  was  afraid  we  would  lose  a  few 
minutes  in  getting  the  room  warm." 

Zeke  and  Tom  were  ready  before  this 
unwelcome  talk  was  done,  and  their  mother 
had  hurried  them  off,  hoping  that  Miles 
would  cut  his  story  short;  but  he  lingered 
behind  to  finish  it,  and  then  followed  the 
other  boys  like  a  race  horse. 


A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     159 

"Them'Alden  boys  is  real  kind,"  said  little 
Betsey  Crone,  looking  innocently  into  her 
mother's  face ;  "  and  their  mother,"  she  con- 
tinued, "is  real  kind  too." 

"Your  mother  an't,  I  suppose!"  said  Mrs. 
Crone,  sharply ;  "  she  never  does  anything 
for  her  children  !  " 

The  child  slunk  timidly  away  unable  to 
see  how  she  had  offended,  though  she  felt 
her  mother's  harsh  rebuff. 

Zeke  and  Tom  did  not  respond  cheerfully 
to  the  out-gushing  good  feeling  of  their  gen- 
erous young  friends.  Their  very  steps,  as 
they  loitered  behind,  seemed  to  say,  It's  no 
use ;  we  can't,  and  that's  the  whole  of  it. 

Carver,  seeing  this  depression,  so  evidently 
different  from  the  spirit  with  which  they  had 
parted  the  evening  before,  lingered  behind, 
drew  Zeke  out  and  learned  the  history  of 
the  morning.  Zeke  could  not  refrain  from 
tears,  and,  while  he  was  telling  his  story, 
Carver  wiped  his  eyes  with  the  back  of  his 
hand. 


160      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

Zeke  and  Tom  Crone  were  detairred  at  the 
close  of  the  school  in  the  afternoon  of  that 
day.  All  the  other  scholars  had  been  dis- 
missed. Their  lessons  had  gone  badly,  and 
it  seemed  to  the  kind  yet  firm  young  teacher, 
that  there  had  been  no  effort  on  their  part 
to  do  better.  He  was  a  good  deal  puzzled 
and  some  vexed.  He  had  spoken  many  kind, 
encouraging  words  to  them,  and  given  special 
assistance.  His  hope  of  their  improvement 
had  been  raised,  but  the  history  of  to-day 
had  nearly  destroyed  it. 

"It  seems  to  me,  boys,"  he  said,  in  a  tone 
of  miugled  grief  and  anger,  "that  you  are 
bent  on  stupidity  and  idleness." 

Just  then  a  boy  who  had  been  crouching 
down  under  the  window  outside,  in  malicious 
curiosity,  to  learn  the  punishment  which  the 
master  inflicted  upon  the  delinquents,  shouted 
out,  as  he  ran  away, — 

"The  boys  of  Crone's  Corner, 
Will  be  drones  forever." 


A  BEEEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     161 

"I  fear  so,"  said  the  teacher,  indorsing  the 
bitter  fling  from  the  outside.  Zeke  involun- 
tarily clinched  his  fist  and  scuffed  his  heavy 
boots  on  the  floor.  Mr.  Everett  understood 
this  as  a  defiance  of  his  authority,  and  an 
expressed  contempt  of  his  kind  entreaties. 
He  took  a  rattan  from  his  desk,  coiled  at 
one  end,  and  flexible  at  the  other,  being 
well  suited  to  inflict  stinging  pain,  without 
breaking  the  flesh  or  bones.  He  seized  Zeke 
by  the  collar,  and,  with  a  sudden  and  violent 
jerk,  laid  him,  with  his  face  down,  across 
the  top  of  the  desk.  Tom  started  up,  tossed 
his  books  into  the  middle  of  the  floor, 
straightened  himself  up  to  his  full  height, 
and  looked  at  the  humiliating  position  of  his 
brother,  with  lips  quivering  with  excitement, 
and  a  face  flushed  with  uncontrolled  anger, 
bitterness  and  grief.  The  first  blow'  of  the 
rattan  would  be  the  signal  for  him  to  fly, 
reckless  of  consequences,  to  the  rescue  of 
his  brother. 

11 


162       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

Just  at  this  moment  the  door  opened  and 
Carver  Alden  rushed  into  the  room. 

"  Don't  strike  him,  sir !  please,  Mr.  Ever- 
ett, don't  strike  Zeke !  He  isn't  to  blame, 
nor  Tom,  neither." 

The  teacher  paused.  His  first  impulse  was 
to  strike  Carver  to  the  floor  for  his  imper- 
tinent interference.  But  the  boy's  tender, 
beseeching  face,  down  which  the  big,  manly 
tears  were  rapidly  chasing  each  other,  and, 
most  of  all  the  profound  respect  and  warm 
affection  which  he  felt  for  the  interferer, 
caused  him  to  let  go  of  Zeke  and  drop  the 
rattan  upon  the  floor.  Zeke  and  Tom  set- 
tled back  into  their  seats.  Their  unger  was 
gone  at  the  first  sight  of  Carver,  and  both 
buried  their  faces  in  their  hands  and  wept 
bitterly.  Carver  laid  his  hand  on  the  teacher's 
shoulder,  looked  up  into  his  now  placid  face 
and  whispered,  "Please,  sir,  let  the  boys  go, 
and  I  will  explain  all." 

The  tears  of  the  Crone  boys  came  to   the 


A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     1»)3 

aid  of  their  advocate,  and  the  teacher  said, 
with  a  faltering  voice,  and  a  bewildered  look, 
"Go,  boys." 

Carver  remained  alone  with  the  teacher. 
His  self-imposed  task  was  a  delicate  one. 
His  sense  of  justice  due  to  his  young  friends, 
whose  case  he  was  sure  was  not  understood, 
and  the  explanation  due  to  the  teacher,  com- 
pelled him  to  speak.  But  he  was  reluctant 
to  criminate  older  persons  than  himself,  and 
those  who  were  the  parents  too,  of  his 
friends.  What  business  was  their  manage- 
ment of  their  children  to  him?  expressed  a 
thought  which  troubled  him.  Then,  he  was 
not  sure  his  parents  would  approve  of  his 
course.  Under  these  oppressing  and  con- 
flicting emotions,  he  was  for  a  few  moments 
silent.  He  saw  in  his  teacher's  gathering 
frown  at  his  silence,  a  demand  for  an  ex- 
planation. Carver  instantly  became  calm 
under  a  sense  of  duty.  He  told  simply  and 
truthfully  the  incidents  of  the  preceding 


164       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

evening,  his  promise  to  call  for  the  Crones, 
their  expressed  ambition  to  be  ready  with 
good  lessons,  and  then  stated,  delicately, 
Zeke's  account  of  what  had  occurred  at  home 
in  the  morning. 

The  story  of  Carver  fell  upon  the  teacher 
like  a  revelation.  It  was,  to  his  penetrating 
mind,  a  key  which  unlocked  the  secret  con- 
cerning the  Crone  boys'  character,  which  Imd 
so  perplexed  him.  "  It  explains  all ! "  he 
exclaimed,  grasping  Carver's  hand  cordially. 
"My  noble  boy!"  he  continued,  "you  ha^e 
saved  me  from  wronging  the  oppressed  and 
doing  what  I  never  should  have  forgiven 
myself  for,  after  learning  what  you  have 
told  me.  Go,  and  God  bless  you." 

Carver  bounded  towards  the  door.  "Tell 
nobody  of  this  affair  but  your  parents ! " 
said  Mr.  Everett,  as  the  bo}f  passed  out. 

"No,  sir,"  just  reached  his  ear,  and  he 
stepped  to  the  window  and  caught  a  glimpse 
of  Carver  as  he  disappeared  in  the  now  guth- 


A  BKEEZE  AT  CEONE'S  COENEE.     165 

ering   twilight,   running  with  most  surprising 
fleetness. 

The  Crone  boys  walked  slowly  homeward. 
The  thought  that  "everybody  is  against  us," 
would  have  been  the  burden  of  their  minds 
but  for  Carver's  timely  interference  in  their 
behalf.  They  felt  also  that  he  was  even 
then  making  a  generous  plea  in  their  behalf. 
<  But  discouragement  weighed  heavily  upon 
them,  and  they  sauntered  homeward  with  a 
snail's  pace.  It  was  dark  when  they  reached 
the  kitchen,  where  they  expected  no  word  to 
comfort  or  inspire  them.  The  barn  chores 
were  behind ;  the  wood  box  was  empty ;  the 
preparations  for  supper  were  not  half  com- 
pleted, though  the  time  had  fully  come  ;  and 
the  younger  children  were  impatient  and 
fretful. 

"Well,  you  lazy  fellows!"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Crone,  in  an  excited,  harsh  tone,  "you've 
arrived  at  last.  I  suppose  you'll  claim  you 
stopped  to  study,  and  try  to  cheat  me  at 


166       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

both   ends   of  the  day.     I've  heard  how  you 

/ 
have  blundered  through  the  day,  and  so  had 

to  stop  and  settle  with  your  teacher.  I  hope 
he's  flogged  you  both  well." 

Zeke  was  about  to  defend  himself  as  he 
walked  up  to  his  mother  with  what  little 
resolution  the  disasters  of  the  day  had  left 
him.  But  Mrs.  Crone  seemed  to  anticipate 
the  ground  of  his  defense,  and  she  prevented 
the  utterance  of  a  word  of  excuse,  by  ex- 
claiming, in  a  boisterous  tone,  "There,  be 
still !  none  of  your  sniveling  excuses ;  you've 
had  time  enough,  you  know  you  have.  I've 
done  my  best,  mercy  knows,  to  make  some- 
thing of  you.  Do  you  go,  Zeke,  and  help 
your  father  in  the  barn ;  and  do  you,  Tom, 
bring  in  some  wood,  and  then  help  me  set 
the  table.  There's  nobody  in  this  house  to 
do  a  thing  without  I  make  a  fuss  about  it." 

Zeke's  temper,  which  had  not  recovered 
from  the  strain  imposed  upon  it  at  the 
school  room,  was  not  just  now  very  amiable. 


A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     167 

He  muttered  inaudibly  as  he  was  leaving  his 
mother's  presence.  This  was  peculiarly  un- 
fortunate, as  the  mother's  irritability  was  in- 
tense. Springing  towards  him,  she  gave  him 
a  rousing  box  on  the  ear.  Zeke  turned 
round  and  shouted  spitefully,  "Let  me  alone  ! 
Everybody  blames  or  beats  me.  I  wish  I 
was  dead  ! " 

The  unusual  earnestness  with  which  this 
was  said,  and  the  sudden  uproar  of  the 
younger  children,  who  began  to  cry  violent- 
ly, brought  Mrs.  Crone  to  a  sudden  pause. 
Zeke  hurried  away  sobbing  to  the  barn.  In 
the  meantime  his  mother  hushed  up  the  chil- 
dren, prepared  the  supper,  and  the  whole 
family  were  soon  gathered  about  the  table. 
The  countenance  of  every  member  looked  as 
if  they  had  suddenly  been  smitten  by  a  pes- 
tilence. There  was  plenty  of  food,  and  it 
was  served  up  in  no  mean  style.  Mrs. 
Crone's  table  cloth  was  snowy  white.  Her 
bread  was  of  the  best  quality,  and  her  pies 


168       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

the  delight  of  all  visitors  to  her  house.  The 
supper  this  evening  was  equal  to  her  best. 
But  it  was  eaten  by  the  children  as  a  fright- 
ened horse  eats  his  oats — hesitating  and  half 
choked. 

When  the  girls,  Jane  and  Betsey,  had 
gone  to  bed,  and  the  evening  caudles  were 
ablaze  on  the  stand,  Zeke  and  Tom  took 
their  place  mopiugly  in  the  chimney  corner. 
Silence  reigned  for  a  while.  Mrs.  Crone 
suddenly  started  up,  and  exclaimed,  "There, 
Mr.  Crone,  do  you  see  how  those  two  great 
lazy  boys  waste  their  time?  To-day  both 
of  them  were  detained  after  school,  because 
th^y  played  the  dunce  all  day,  and  disgraced 
themselves  and  us.  Besides,  Zeke  was  im- 
pudent to  me  to-night.  They  want  the  rod, 
that's  what  they  want,  and  if  you  don't  give 
it  to  them  both  you  won't  do  your  duty  ! " 

Mr.  Crone  compromised  between  the  re- 
quirement of  his  wife  and  his  own  inclina- 
tion, which  was  to  let  the  boys  do  about  as 


A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     169 

they  pleased,  and  began  to  scold  them.  Mr. 
Crone  could  scold.  He  was,  in  this  respect, 
the  superior  of  his  wife ;  but  carrying  heav- 
ier shot,  he  did  not  fire  so  often,  nor  move 
to  the  attack  so  quickly.  This  evening  every 
one  of  his  words  were  like  barbed  arrows. 
They  tore  their  way  through  the  tender  sen- 
sibilities of  the  boys,  as  a  Minnie  rifle  ball 
tears  up  the  flesh.  Zeke's  face  indicated  at 
one  moment  a  disposition  to  stand  up  and 
fight,  and  at  another  an  inclination  to  sit 
down  and  cry.  Suddenly,  as  if  his  whole 
soul  was  in  the  purpose  he  had  formed,  he 
strode  out  of  the  room.  *  *  *  * 

The  old  clock  had  struck  nine,  and  *all 
the  family  but  Mr.  Crone  had  gone  to  bed. 
No  Ezekiel  had  returned.  Somehow  the 
father  felt  that  some  serious  injury  had  been 
done  by  his  cutting  words,  and  that  the 
consequences  would  not  be  seemingl}7  harm- 
less, as  at  other  times.  He  had  never  con- 
sidered that  every  word  which  had  "pro- 


170       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

yoked  to  anger,"  leaving  "discouragement,'* 
had  done  his  child  a  -wrong,  and  that  the 
accumulated  effects  overflow  at  last  in  deso- 
lating desperation. 

Ten  o'clock,  and  no  Ezekiel !  Mr.  Crone 
took  the  lantern,  and  went  out  to  the  barn. 
"Ezekiel!  Ezekiel!"  he  shouted,  in  a  sub- 
dued and  tender  tone.  The  cattle  yawned 
and  looked  amazed  that  their  quiet  should 
be  disturbed  at  such  an  hour.  He  looked 
into  the  wood-shed,  the  corn-barn,  and  re- 
turned to  the  kitchen,  set  down  the  light, 
and  took  his  seat  on  the  settle,  and  looked 
into  the  fire.  "I  was  a  fool,"  he  mused, 
"to  indulge  in  such  harsh  language.  The 
boys  are  not  so  much  to  blame,  after  all. 
They  have,  no  encouragement  in  this  house 
to  try  to  be  anybody.  It's  all  their  mother's 
fault !  It  wau't  my  way  to  scold  them,  but 
wife  made  such  a  clamor  about  whipping,  that 
I  was  driven  to  scolding.  I  wont  do  it  again 
for  any  woman  ! " 


A  BREEZE  AT  CKONE'S  CORNER.     171 

Eleven  o'clock,  and  no  Ezekiel !  Mr.  Crone 
took  the  lamp,  and  went  to  his  sleeping-room. 
He  found  his  wife  tossing  in  bed,  in  feverish 
excitement.  "Has  Ezekiel  come?"  she  in- 
quired, in  a  sharp,  quick  tone. 

"  No ! "  was  the  equally  sharp  and  quick 
reply. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Crone,  you  needn't  be  so  cross 
about  it.  If  you'd  whipped  the  boys,  as  I 
advised  you  to  do,  and  been  done  with  it, 
they  would  have  been  asleep  this  very  min- 
ute, and  my  life  wouldn't  have  been  plagued 
out  of  me,  as  I  believe  it  will  be." 

"And  they'd  been  a  world  better  off  if  I 
hadn't  heard  to  you,  and  taken  my  own  way, 
and  let  them  alone,"  retorted  Mr.  Crone. 

"I  didn't  advise  yon  to  scold  them  so,  and 
you  know  it,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Crone.  "But 
then  you  must  blame  me,  of  course,  or  you'd 
never  live  through  any  trouble." 

Mrs.  Crone  burst  into  one  of  her  violent 
fits  of  crying,  and  Mr.  Crone  returned,  with 


172       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

the  lighted  candle,  to  the  kitchen.  As  he 
stood  a  moment  and  listened  upon  the  stairs, 
as  he  passed  down,  he  heard  the  suppressed 
sighs  of  Tom,  whose  eyes  had  not  closed  in 
sleep.  He  sat  down  by  the  kitchen  fire,  put 
on  a  fresh  stick  or  two,  which  blazed  up 
cheerfully,  but  it  was  only  a  mockery  of  his 
feelings.  He  crept  up  to  Tom's  bed-room, 
and  whispered,  tenderly,  "Thomas,  do  you 
know  where  your  brother  has  gone?" 

"No,  sir,"  was  the  reply;  and  Tom  buried 
his  face  in  the  bed-clothes,  and  sobbed  vio- 
lently. 

Mr.  Crone's  feelings  were  almost  insuffer- 
able, and  he  watched  out  the  weary  hours 
of  the  night  by  the  kitchen  fire. 

With  heavy  hearts,  the  Crone  family  pub- 
lished among  their  neighbors  the  loss  of 
their  boy.  None  had  seen  or  heard  from 
him.  As  day  after  day  passed,  it  became 
the  common  talk.  There  were  no  railroads 
or  telegrams,  to  spread  the  alarm,  nor  to 


A  BREEZE  AT  CRONE'S  CORNER.     173 

bring  in  other  exciting  topics  to  displace  the 
unpleasant  one  concerning  the  missing  boy. 
Tom  grieved,  as  did  the  other  children,  but 
kindly  refrained  from  speaking  of  Zeke's  prov- 
ocation for  running  away.  Some  blamed  the 
boy.  "He  was  a  stubborn,  willful  fellow," 
said  they,  "and  his  departure  is  no  loss  to 
the  town.  We  pity  the  parents,  but  hope 
Zeke  will  find  the  world  rough  enough  to 
bring  him  to  his  bearings." 

w  I  don't  blame  the  poor  fellow  ! "  exclaimed 
another.  "He's  been  abused  from  his  child- 
hood. I  hope  he'll  find  a  good  place,  and 
peace,  somewhere,  for  he  never  had  any  at 
home.  I  hope  now  the  Crones  will  treat  the 
children  which  remain  decently." 

While  people  thus  flippantly  talked,  there 
was  real  anguish  of  heart  at  Crone's  Corner. 
The  parents  there  loved  their  children,  not- 
withstanding their  unwise  treatment.  The 
daily  petulance  had  given  way  to  deep-seated 
grief.  They  were  not  understood,  and  few 


174      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

approached  them  with  Christian  words  suited 
to  their  peculiar  case.  They  had  sinned. 
That  they  knew  and  felt;  and  that  was  what 
people  most  remembered  when  thinking  or 
speaking  of  them.  But  they  sorrowed  deeply 
for  their  sin.  That  was  what  most  of  the 
people  did  not  know,  nor  appreciate,  if  it 
were  told  them.  But  One  knew.  To  Him 
they  unburdened  their  hearts.  The  family 
altar  became  a  place  of  penitent  confession 
and  tender  entreaty.  Little  Betsey  nestled 
affectionately  up  to  her  mother  at  such  times, 
and  was  lovingly  caressed.  Peace,  sweet 
peace,  the  "My  peace,"  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  came  to  the  family  circle,  as  never 
before.  How  strange  that  the  night  of  their 
sorrow  had  brought  the  noon-day  light  of 
Him  who  came  a  Light  into  the  world ! 


CHAPTEE  XI. 

THE   WINTER   SCHOOL. 

CARVER  ALDEN  was  late  in  reaching  home, 
the  afternoon  of  his  interference  in  behalf 
of  Zeke.  Such  an  occurrence  was  very  un- 
usual, and  as  he  had  not  intimated,  even  to 
his  brother,  the  occasion  of  his  lingering 
behind,  there  was  some  uneasiness  felt  con- 
cerning him.  Beside,  there  was  extra  work 
at  the  barn  awaiting  him.  Where's  Carver? 
had  been  more  than  once  repeated  when  he 
came  bounding  into  the  kitchen. 

"Will  tell  you  all  about  being  late  home 
this  evening,  when  the  chores  are  done," 
he  exclaimed  to  his  mother,  catching  up  the 
milk  pail  and  hurrying  to  the  barn. 

"Very  well,"  said  his  mother,  quietly.     She 

176 


176      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

had  not  asked  for  an  explanation,  but  ex- 
pected one.  Her  son  knew  one  was  needed, 
and  did  not  wait  to  be  asked.  He  did  not 
hesitate  to  explain,  because  he  knew  his 
explanation  would  be  listened  to,  and  kindly 
and  candidly  considered. 

"Carve,  did  you  stop  to  take  Zeke's  flog- 
ging for  him  !  "  said  Miles,  when  they  were 
left  alone  in  the  barn.  "Hold  the  lantern 
so  I  can  see  if  your  eyes  are  not-  red.  May- 
be though,  you  stayed  to  take  a  flogging  on 
your  own  account,  against  the  blunders  you 
are  agoing  to  make !  Now,  Carve,  if  you 
did,  just  have  the  whipping  transferred  to 
my  account.  I'll  do  the  blundering,  and  you 
take  the  floggings !  Now  that's  a  good  fel- 
low ! " 

"No,  I  won't!"  exclaimed  Carver,  bringing 
his  foot  down  with  emphasis.  "If  Mr.  Ev- 
erett settled  for  all  your  shortcomings  on  my 
back,  he  would  use  it  up  in  a  week  !  But, 
Miles,  you  needn't  try  to  be  funny.  I  tell 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  177 

you  what,  I  do  pity  Zeke  and  Tom.  I  should 
not  matter  one  flogging  if  they  could  have 
a  fair  chance  to  go  ahead  in  school  for  a 
whole  winter.  You  ought  to  have  seen  how 
desperate  Zeke  looked  to-night !  " 

"Did  Mr.  Everett  flog  him  though?"  in- 
terposed Miles,  with  serious  concern. 

"No,"  said  Carver,  dropping  the  conversa- 
tion and  starting  for  the  house. 

"I'll  bet  I  see  through  it  all,"  said  Miles 
to  himself;  "Carve  stopped  to  beg  Zeke  off. 
The  Crones  did  blunder  awfully  to-day ;  and 
they  looked  so  kind  of  stupid  and  discour- 
aged. I  wonder  if  they  ever  mean  to  be 
anybody !  " 

Miles  did  not  know  the  history  of  the 
morning  at  Crone's  Corner,  as  related  to 
Carver.  His  musings  were  therefore  a  little 
hard  on  those  he  had  tried  so  much  to  en- 
courage. 

John  and  Patience  Alden  heard  Carver's 
straight-forward  explanation  without  a  word 

12 


178       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

of  comment.  Patience  wiped  her  eyes  once 
with  one  corner  of  her  checked  apron  when 
Zeke's  trials  were  related.  When  Carver  had 
finished,  his  father  simply  said,  "Very  well, 
my  son,"  and  resumed  his  reading.  The 
boy  saw  approval  in  his  parents'  faces,  and 
he  settled  down  to  his  evening  studies  with 
a  will . 

When  the  children  were  all  in  bed,  John 
Alden  said  to  his  wife,  musingly,  "Patience, 
I  think  I  must  reason  with  sister  Crone. 
Yes,  I  must  reprove  her !  She'll  have  to 
answer  for  the  ruin  of  the  boys ! " 

"Perhaps,"  said  Patience,  "she  is  not 
rightly  reported  by  the  boy." 

"That's  a  wise  thought,"  said  her  husband. 
"S'pose  they  would  not  thank  me  for  in- 
terfering. Things  do  go  askew  though,  there 
at  the  Corner."  A  silence,  of  some  mo- 
ments followed  this  remark,  which  Patience 
broke  by  saying  in  a  solemn,  feeling  tone, 
"Who  hath  made  us  to  differ?" 


THE   WINTER    SCHOOL.  179 

When  the  news  of  Zeke's  departure  was 
fully  confirmed,  the  sorrow  at  Alden  Farm 
was  scarcely  less  than  at  Crone's  Corner. 

"I'll  bet  they  flogged  Zeke  for  getting 
home  late  last  night ! "  said  Carver,  with  a 
flush  of  anger  quite  unusual  with  him.  The 
thought  that  Zeke  was  flogged  after  all,  was 
too  much  for  his  good  temper. 

"I'd  like  to" — he  was  about  to  say — 
"flog  old  Crone,  and  I'll  bet  I  could  do 
it."  But  his  eye  at  the  moment  met  that 
of  his  mother's,  expressing  a  calm  reproof 
at  his  heat,  and  he  brought  a  smile  upon 
her  face  by  saying  with  a  sly  twinkle  of 
roguery,  "I'd  like  to  —  yes,  convince  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Crone  that  my  father  and  mother's 
way  of  managing  bad  boys  is  a  great  sight 
better  than  their's." 

It  was  a  week  after  Zeke  left  before  Tom 
came  to  school.  It  had  been  a  week  of 
weeping  at  home,  but  of  such  kindly  words, 
and  loving  quiet,  as  the  place  had  never 


180       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

before  known.  The  work  had  been  done 
with  wonderful  promptness.  The  hours  about 
the  evening  lamp  had  been  productive,  not- 
withstanding heaviness  of  heart,  of  more  work 
of  the  fingers  and  improvement  of  mind  than 
at  former  times.  Affliction  proved  a  better 
condition  for  both,  than  the  excitement  of 
ill  tempers.  So  Tom  showed  a  preparation 
for  his  recitations  which  surprised  the  whole 
school.  The  Alden  boys  were  watchful  for 
opportunities  to  soothe  his  spirits  and  stim- 
ulate his  zeal.  The  evident  special  attention 
towards  him  of  the  teacher,  excited  no  jeal- 
ousy. The  taunts  of  the  scholars  directed 
against  Crone's  Corner,  had  ceased,  with  the 
exception  of  those  of  one  boy.  His  persis- 
tent bitterness  against  the  Crones  requires 
a  passing  notice,  especially  in  view  of  its 
cause  and  results. 

His  name  was  Fred  Organ.  He  lived  three 
miles  from  the  town,  on  an  out-of-the-way 
farm.  His  mother  was  a  cousin  to  Mrs. 


•  THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  181 

Ezekiel  Crone.  But  somehow,  as  will  un- 
accountably occur  at  times,  among  relatives, 
there  had  existed  for  many  years  a  most 
bitter  feud  between  the  Organs  and  the 
Crones.  They  had  watched  for  each  others' 
haltings.  They  exchanged  no  friendly  family 
visits.  If  any  of  the  members  met,  it  was 
in  the  most  cold  and  formal  manner.  The 
Organs  were  not  professed  Christians,  and 
they  made  the  Crones  the  occasion  of  many 
a  pharisaical  sneer  at  the  church.  Now  that 
Zeke  had  gone,  nobody  seemed  to  know 
where,  they  were  afforded  what  was  to  them 
a  rich  topic  of  discourse.  "I  told  you  so," 
said  Mrs.  Organ.  "God  always  punishes 
such  bad  family  government,  and  such  cruel- 
ty to  their  children,  as  there  have  always 
been  at  the  Crone's.  For  my  part,  I'm  no 
member  of  the  church,  but  I  do  try  to  have 
my  children  behave  decently.  As  to  Zeke, 
I'm  glad  he's  gone.  He  never  did  have  any 
peace,  poor  fellow,  and  I  hope  he'll  fall  into 


182       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

good  bauds.  I  shouldn't  wonder  though  if 
he  had  gone  to  sea !  If  so,  he  will  catch 
a  rope's  end  pretty  often  I'll  be  bound,  and 
it  "will  be  a  long  time,  if  ever,  before  the 
Crones  will  hear  from  him.  But  it's  good 
enough  for  them." 

The  Crones  heard  of  the  reproaches  which 
their  relatives  cast  upon  them.  But  their 
hearts  were  humbled.  They  could  forgive 
no\v.  They  even  made  advances  towards  a 
restoration  of  fellowship,  but  it  was  scorned. 

So  it  naturally  occurred  that  Fred  Organ 
stood  out,  among  his  school  fellows,  in  his 
persecution  of  Thomas  Crone. 

The  weeks  passed  on.  The  winter  had 
assumed  its  sternest  force.  The  cold  was  at 
times  intense.  Yet  Tom  was  always  at 
school,  and  in  season.  One  morning,  the 
children  awoke,  and  peered  as  well  as  they 
could  out  of  the  frost  covered  windows,  and 
saw  the  drifted  snow  higher  than  the  tops 
of  the  fences.  The  storm  had  been  in  a 


THE   WINTER  SCHOOL.  183 

merry   mood.     Here   it    filled  a    door    yard, 
blocking  up  the  door,  with  a  towering  heap 

* 

which  reached  nearly  to  the  eaves  of  the 
house.  Then  it  swept  a  clean  path,  laying 
bare  the  frozen  sods  and  graveled  walks. 
Now  it  shut  the  cattle  up  in  the  barns,  as 
much  as  to  say,  It  will  not  be  for  your 
health  to  leave  your  stalls.  Then  it  just 
shook  a  barn  door,  to  let  the  inmates  know 
it  was  round,  and  passed  by  with  its  freight 
of  snow,  as  if  to  say,  You,  cattle  and  horses, 
you  had  better  walk  out  and  see  what's 
agoing  on.  There's  no  snow  in  your  way. 
Mr.  Everett,  the  teacher,  looked  out,  and 
remarked,  "  A  small  number  at  school  to- 
day !  A  few  living  near  will  be  there,  and 
two  boys  from  a  distance  —  those  of  Aldeu 
Farm.  Well,  I  must  make  it  pay  them 
well  to  come."  Mr.  Everett  was  like  a  sen- 
sible .  preacher  who  said  he  tried  to  preach 
his  best  sermons  to  the  stormy  day  hearers. 
He  went  to  his  trunk,  took  out  some  blocks, 


184       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

then    novel   articles   to   explain  some   of   the 
rules  in  Arithmetic.     He  took  down  a  choice 
map    which     hung    against    the    room    wall, 
rolled  it  up,  and  put  it  under  his  arm.     He 
also  took  along  a  rare   Work   detailing   some 
of  the  incidents  of  the  American  revolution, 
which  every  family  could  not  get  access  to, 
as    all    can    now.       Thus    armed    he    waded 
through   the   snow  to  the  school-house.     The 
faithful    fire-builder    of   that   week  —  for    the 
larger   boys   took   turns   in    building   the   fire 
and    sweeping    the    school-room  —  had    made 
the  fire  early,  and  the  school-room  fire-place 
glowed   with    its   blazing    sticks,    and   slowly 
burning  back-log.     The  two  Alden  boys  were 
already     there     when     the     teacher     arrived. 
Soon,  Thomas  Crone  came  stamping  into  the 
entry.      His    face    was    ruddy    with   the    ex- 
ertion   of    wading    through     the    drifts,    and 
facing  the   still   blustering   wind. 

"Well     done,     Thomas!"     exclaimed     the 
teacher,  greeting  him  at  the  door.     The  few 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  185 

scholars  gathered  round  him,  one  pulliug  off 
his  frozen  mittens,  another  taking  his  snowy 
cap  which  had  been  pulled  down  over  his 
ears,  and  a  third  brushing  the  snow  from 
his  frock.  The  teacher  invited  the  boys  — 
about  a  dozen  of  them — to  take  a  bench  and 
draw  up  round  the  fire,  placing  his  chair,  at 
the  same  time,  in  one  corner  so  as  to  face 
them  all.  After  the  devotional  exercises, 
which  seemed  to  the  boys,  more  solemn 
than  usual,  the  teacher  proposed,  much  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  scholars,  to  have  what 
he  called  an  "explaining  session."  He  com- 
menced with  some  of  the  most  difficult  por- 
tions which  had  been  gone  over  by  the  first 
class  of  Colburu.  He  encouraged  familiar 
conversation  concerning  the  questions.  The 
eyes  of  the  boys  fairly  snapped  with  delight. 
They  looked  at  each  other  with  knowing 
nods,  as  if  to  say,  Don't  you  see  that?  It's 
as  clear  as  a  whistle ! 

The  blocks  came  next.     They  were  inclined 


186       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

to  laugh  at  them.  They  had  seen  the  babies 
play  with  blocks,  and  they  could  not  see 
any  other  use  for  them.  But  when  those 
who  had  been  blindly  following  the  rule  in 
"Daboll's  Arithmetic,"  on  the  square  and 
cube  root,  saw  the  teacher's  arrangement  of 
his  prettily  finished  pieces  of  wood,  they 
jumped  from  their  old  backless,  hard  seats, 
and  gathered  about  the  teacher  in  an  unre- 
strained expression  of  pleasure. 

Next  came  the  reading  of  "Incidents  of 
the  Revolutionary  War."  First,  Mr.  Ever- 
ett read,  and  then  passed  the  book  to  the 
best  reader  among  the  boys.  The  story  was 
freely  discussed,  and  the  teacher,  at  the  same 
time,  made  suggestions  to  improve  the  man- 
ner of  reading.  So  the  book  went  round. 
The  boys  were  getting  a  stimulus  to  their 
taste  for  historical  reading,  and  were  learn- 
ing too  some  important  facts  concerning  the 
struggle  of  our  fathers  in  throwing  off  a 
foreign  government.  But  most  of  all,  they 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  187 

were  getting  a  healthful  inspiration  to  study, 
the  mainspring  of  all  good  scholarship. 

"Boys,"  said  the  teacher,  taking  out  his 
watch,  and  looking  at  it  with  surprise,  "it 
is  one  o'clock,  and  you  have  had  no  recess, 
and  no  intermission  for  dinner." 

"Why,  Mr.  Everett,"  exclaimed  several 
voices  at  once,  "  you  must  be  mistaken  !  It 
don't  seem  ten  o'clock." 

A  half  hour  was  spent  in  eating  their 
lunch,  while  the  boys,  at  the  same  time  dis- 
cussed the  experience  of  the  day  thus  far. 

"It  was  pretty  tough,  boys,  wading  the 
snow  this  morning,"  said  Carver,  "and, — 
whew !  how  it  comes  against  the  window  !  — 
it  will  be  tougher,  I  reckon,  going  home." 

"Yes,"  said  Thomas  Crone,  "it  was  tough. 
But  I'm  glad  I  came." 

""NVau't  Mr.  Everett  splendid?"  whispered 
Miles.  "I'll  bet  I  can  beat  father  in  Col- 
burn  now  ! " 

"I'm  going  to  be  a  soldier,   when  I  grow 


188       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

up,  and  fight  the  British ! "  said  the  young- 
est boy  of  the  group,  Willie  True,  whose 
home  was  within  a  few  moments'  walk  of 
the  school  house. 

The  fine  spirits  of  the  boys  grew  more 
intense  as  the  teacher  piled  on  the  wood, 
and  the  storm  without  sung  more  and  more 
uproarously  its  warning  to  those  away  from 
their  own  snug  homes. 

"We  will  have  a  spelling  match,  and  go 
home,"  said  the  teacher,  endeavoring  to 
scratch  the  frost  upon  the  window-pane,  to 
look  out  upon  the  tempestuous  scene. 

"  It  will  be  too  soon  to  go ! "  exclaimed 
Miles. 

"I  guess  not,"  said  the  teacher,  as  a  heavy 
gust  of  wind  shook  the  very  foundation  of 
the  school-house. 

The  trial  of  spelling  was  an  exciting  fea- 
ture in  most  of  New  England  schools  of  a 
former  generation.  There  were  no  girls 
present  at  this  trial,  so  the  interest  was  less 


THE   WINTEK   SCHOOL.  189 

exciting.  It  is  reported,  in  the  accounts  of 
these  merry  but  profitable  contests,  that  the 
girls  beat  the  boys,  "out  of  sight  in  a  pair 
of  minutes."  If  so  our  present  champions 
were  saved  the  mortification  of  such  humil- 
iating defeat.  It  may  have  seemed  strange 
to  the  teacher  on  this  occasion,  but  it  turned, 
out  that  the  little  William  True  carried  off 
the  greenest  laurels ;  while  the  representa- 
tive present  of  the  Crones  of  Crone's  Corner, 
came  in  next  in  the  race,  and  quite  near 
the  victor.  Spelling  was  the  weak  point 
in  the  scholarship  of  the  Aldens.  When 
hard  study  was  required,  or  close  and  clear 
thinking,  they  were  the  leaders.  In  matters 
of  memory  they  faltered. 

"  Good  on  Willie  True,  Esq.  ! "  exclaimed 
Miles,  when  the  school  was  dismissed ;  "  he's 
a  smasher  at  spelling.  I  am  glad  the  girls 
wan't  here  to  beat  him  ! " 

"Hurrah  for  Crone's  Corner,  which  has 
beat  Alden  Farm ! "  generously  shouted  Car- 


190      THE  LUCK  OF  ALUEN  FAKM. 

ver.  "Guess  Miles  and  I  will  have  to  study 
up  on  the  speller.  But  a  plague  take  it, 
I'd  rather  study  two  Colburns  and  a  Daboll, 
with  Murray's  Grammar  thrown  it ! " 

The  countenance  of  Thomas  Crone,  which 
had  worn  for  weeks  a  sad  cast,  lighted  up 
with  a  momentary  flush  of  joy.  But  it  set- 
tled down  into  its  customary  shade  of  de- 
spondency as  he  buttoned  up  his  coat,  tied 
his  comforter  about  his  neck,  pulled  his  cap 
down  over  his  ears,  and  thought  how  Zeke 
and  he  had  waded  together,  at  other  times, 
through  such  drifting  snow.  He  was  just 
about  to  say,  "Good  bye,  boys,"  and  "here 
goes ! "  when  his  father  appeared  in  the 
school  yard.  "I  was  afraid,  my  son,"  he 
said,  approaching  Tom  with  a  smile,  "that 
you  would  get  stuck  in  the  snow.  It's  aw- 
ful deep,  and  the  wind  cuts  like  a  knife. 
Your  mother  would  have  me  come.  I  would 
have  harnessed  up,  only  old  AVhite  Hoofs 
never  could  have  got  through  these  drifts." 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  191 

He  then  took  Tom's  hand  and  turned  a  res- 
olute face  to  the  storm. 

"Was  that  old  Zeke  Crone?"  said  Carver, 
in  a  quiet  tone.  "That's  not  the  way  he 
used  to  meet  the  boys  ! " 

Mrs.  Crone  had  gone  herself  to  the  barn, 
and  finished  the  chores  which  her  husband 
was  at  work  upon  when  she  suggested  that 
he  go  to  meet  Tom.  "My  boy,"  —  she  most 
always  called  him  "my  boy"  now  —  "shall 
have  nothing  to  do,"  she  said,  musingly,  "but 
to  eat  his  supper  and  set  down  to  his  les- 
sons." Her  table  was  spread  in  her  best 
style.  The  fire  in  the  huge  old  fire-place 
fairly  roared  defiance  to  the  storm  king  out- 
side, and  smiled  warmly  to  his  patrons  with- 
in. Jane  put  her  spelliug  book  under  her 
arm,  to  be  ready  to  show  Tom  what  won- 
derful progress  she  had  made  during  the  day, 
and  little  Betsey  stowed  herself  away  under 
the  table  to  "scare  him,"  when  he  approached 
the  fire.  There  were  no  chidings  now  for 


192       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

these  childish  airs.  The  mother  having  as- 
sured herself  that  everything  was  upon  the 
table,  or  "at  the  fire  warming,"  for  the  sup- 
per, went  frequently  to  the  window,  to 
endeavor  to  peer  through  the  wintry  at- 
mosphere to  get  a  sight  of  Tom  and  his 
father.  But  twilight  had  set  in,  and  night 
was  hastening  on,  although,  as  she  said, 
it  seemed  only  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon. 

Soon  a  cheerful  shout  from  Tom  announced 
their  coming.  The  mother  and  the  sisters 
flew  to  the  door.  "It's  a  glorious  old 
storm ! "  he  shouted,  stamping  vigorously, 
and  throwing  off  his  hat.  His  mother  un- 
loosed his  comforter,  helped  him  off  with 
his  coat,  uttering,  at  the  same  time,  hearty 
words  of  welcome.  But  a  tear  at  the -same 
time  fell  from  her  face.  There  was  but  one 
boy,  she  remembered,  to  welcome  home. 

"I'll  finish  the  chores,"  said  Mr.  Crone, 
"and  soon  be  in  to  supper." 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  193 

"And  I  will  help  you,  father,"  said  Tom. 
"I  haven't  taken  off  my  boots." 

"I  wouldn't  go,  either  of  you,  out  into  this 
storm  again,"  said  Mrs.  Crone. 

"Why,"  replied  Mr.  Crone,  "I  shouldn't 
sleep  to-night  if  old  Brindle  wan't  milked, 
and  the  young  stock  hadn't  the  rest  of  their 
supper  pushed  up  to  them." 

"Nor  I  either,"  replied  his  wife,  archly. 

Ezekiel  at  once  read  the  explanation  in 
his  wife's  pleasant  face.  "It  was  kind  in 
you,  Jerusha,"  he  said,  as  they  all  drew 
around  the  inviting  table.  "It  is  pleasanter 
to  sit  down  here  than  to  go  into  the  barn 
through  the  storm." 

The  supper  being  finished,  the  usual  family 
prayer  was  offered.  When  the  father  re- 
quested of  Him  to  watch  over  their  lost  one, 
his  voice  trembled  more  than  usual,  and  the 
suppressed  sobs  were  heard  from  every  kneel- 
ing member  of  the  family ;  and  when  he 
added,  "Give  him  repentance  unto  life,  and 

13 


194       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

forgive  us  all  our  parental  errors  towards 
him,"  there  came  from  the  mother  a  scarcely 
audible,  but  deeply  felt  "  amen  ! " 

Tom  had  related  at  the  table,  with  great 
animation,  his  success  in  the  spelling  class. 
"Why,  mother!"  he  exclaimed,  exultingly,  "I 
beat  both  the  Alden  boys ! " 

"And  so,  of  course,  you  beat  all  the  schol- 
ars who  were  present,"  said  his  mother,  with 
evident  satisfaction. 

"No,"  replied  Tom,  frankly,  "Willie  True 
beat  me ! " 

All  laughed  at  this,  and  agreed  it  would 
do  very  well  for  Willie  to  beat  Tom  if  he 
could  beat  all  others. 

Jane  and  Betsey  had  kissed  father  and 
mother  and  brother,  and  said  their  "good 
night,"  and  their  prayers,  and  were  fast 
asleep.  Tom  lifted  up  his  eyes  from  his 
lesson,  in  which  he  had  been  quite  absorbed, 
and  observed  the  pleasant  light  which  the 
fire  and  the  candles  threw  over  the  room, 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  195 

and  the  quiet  and  loving,  though  sad  coun- 
tenances of  his  parents. 

"If  Zeke  were  here,  how  we  could  study 
now ! "  he  thought,  and  in  the  depth  of  his 
emotion,  almost  said  aloud.  But  he  sadly 
reflected  that  it  was  not  so  when  his  brother 
was  at  home,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  whis- 
pered in  his  heart  that  this  separation  and 
its  consequent  sorrow  was  a  part  of  the  "all 
things "  which  "  work  together  for  good "  to 
the  trusting  heart.  He  turned  again  to  his 
lessons  with  a  freer  spirit. 

The  school  term  was  fast  drawing  to  a 
close.  The  spring,  as  its  inspiring  breath 
toned  down  the  chilly  atmosphere  of  winter, 
called  upon  all  the  young  men  of  those  days 
to  exchange  the  school-room  for  the  barn, 
and  books  for  the  plough  and  the  hoe.  The 
committee  were  expected  to  visit  the  school, 
to  show  their  learning,  and  incidentally  to 
ascertain  how  much,  or  rather  how  little,  the 
children  and  young  people  knew  by  com- 


196       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

parisou.  Those  scholars  who  were  conscious 
of  having  well  spent  the  winter's  privileges, 
looked  forward  to  their  coming  with  pleasure. 
The  drones  were  already  planning  to  find  an 
excuse  for  staying  away.  The  recitations 
were  becoming  exciting,  for  they  were  re- 
views, and  Mr.  Everett  was  evidently  drill- 
ing his  little  army  for  the  inspection  of  the 
review  officers.  In  these  daily  general  ex- 
aminations, Fred  Organ,  the  relative  and 
persecutor  of  Thomas  Crone,  was  dropping 
down  towards  the  foot  of  his  class.  His 
temper,  never  amiable,  was  becoming  heated 
with  shame  and  envy.  Just  at  this  point 
of  his  school  trials,  Thomas  spelt  a  word 
which  he  had  missed,  and  passed  above  him. 
This  was  not  all.  The  hated  Crone  was 
becoming  the  respected  boy  and  scholar, 
gradually  advancing  in  all  his  classes,  and 
gaining  daily  upon  the  confidence  of  his 
teacher  and  schoolmates.  More  than  once, 
Mr.  Everett  had  said  to  himself,  "I'm  glad 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  197 

I  did  not  flog  Zekc  —  thanks  to  Carver." 
Fred  saw  and  felt  all  this,  and  it  was  as  a 
thorn  in  his  flesh.  He  wanted  to  "spite" 
Tom  some  way,  though  if  asked  for  the  rea- 
son, he  probably  could  have  given  none  better 
than  that  given  by  children  often  for  their 
acts,  "because  I  wanted  to."  Fred  wanted 
to  spite  Tom,  so  when  Tom  was  running 
swiftly  in  play  at  recess  around  the  corner 
of  the  school-house,  Fred  put  out  his  foot 
and  tripped  him  up.  The  fall  was  a  heavy 
one,  and  as  the  boy  struck  the  frozen  ground, 
a  serious  gash  was  cut  in  his  head,  his  hands 
were  torn  by  his  effort  to  break  the  fall,  and 
his  knees  were  badly  bruised.  He  was  taken 
up  bleeding  and  groaning,  and  carried  into 
the  school-house,  the  object  of  the  sympathy 
of  all,  while  a  cloud  of  angry  countenances 
lowered  over  Fred. 

"I  didn't  go  to  do  it,"  whimpered  Fred, 
beginning  to  be  alarmed  at  what  he  had 
done. 


198       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"  You  did !  You  did  it  a-purpose.  I  saw 
you ! "  exclaimed  Willie  True. 

"  I  wish  the  law  required  me  to  whip 
Fred ;  because  I  would  discharge  my  duty 
so  faithfully ! "  said  Miles  Alden,  as  the  boys 
were  rushing  into  the  school  room  at  the  call 
of  the  bell. 

"The  law  of  God,  Miles?"  inquired  Car- 
ver. "But  it  don't:  now  straighten  out  your 

V 

fist,  and  don't  go  to  acting  the  bully !  Fred 
will  catch  something  worse  than  your  mos- 
quito bites." 

Miles  nodded  assent,  as  he  blushed  and 
fell  back  upon  his  mother's  saying,  t;Hot 
tempers  make  bitter  repentance." 

The  incident  broke  up  the  remaining  hour 
of  the  session,  and  the  children  were  dis- 
missed early,  carrying,  as  they  scattered 
through  the  district,  a  fresh  and  eagerly  im- 
proved topic  of  gossip.  Thomas  was  carried 
home,  and  was  found  more  frightened  than 
seriously  injured.  The  flesh  wound  in  the 


THE   WINTER   SCHOOL.  199 

head,  and  the  bruises  upon  his  hands  and 
knees  were  soon  healed  by  good  care  on  the 
part  of  his  mother.  There  was  no  blaming 
now  the  bad  luck  of  Crone's  Corner.  The 
unusual  sympathy  on  the  part  of  the  neigh- 
bors surprised  the  Crone  family.  The  inci- 
dent soon  grew,  in  their  estimation,  into  a 
cause  of  gratitude  —  a  cloud  tinged  with  a 
golden  sunrising, —  as  it  brought  out  a  grow- 
ing respect  for  them  and  their  boy. 


CHAPTER  XH. 

THE   EXAMINATION. 

EXAMINATION  DAY  came  at  last.  Mr.  Cur- 
tis, the  minister,  was  there,  the  most  deeply 
interested  of  all  the  committee,  because  the 
most  appreciative  of  what  had  been  done  by 
the  faithful  teacher.  Deacon  Turner  sat  near 
to,  and  leaned  upon  the  judgment  of  his 
pastor  in  matters  of  learning.  Squire  True 
was  more  independent,  and  was  only  a  little 
jealous  of  any  departure  from  the  old  paths. 
Dr.  Burt  looked  through  and  over  his  spec-, 
tacles  with  awful  gravity.  His  wisdom  was 
that  of  an  owl  in  an  ivy  bush.  Old  Deacon 
Prime  was  there,  in  a  seat  of  honor  due  his 
age  and  sacred  office.  He  was  not  of  the 
committee,  but  with  them  —  that  is,  if  they 
200 


THE    EXAMINATION.  201 

scolded  the  boys,  solemnly  lectured  the  girls, 
commended  what  was  old,  and  scouted  that 
which  was  new.  He  was  called  upon  to 
make  a  prayer  at  the  opening  of  the  exer- 
cises, and  he  did  so,  under  a  solemn  sense 
of  the  responsibility  of  giving  thereby  the 
true  key-note  to  them.  He  remembered  to 
implore  pardon  for  the  great  waywardness  of 
all  children  at  the  present  time.  He  told 
God,  with  great  emphasis,  that  Eli's  sin  was 
never  so  prevalent  as  now.  He  asked  that 
the  committee  might  have  moral  courage  to 
do  all  their  duty,  and  rise  above  a  slavish 
and  sinful  fear  of  man;  by  which  he  was 
uncharitably  understood  to  mean  that  the 
committee  should  condemn  everybody  in  gen- 
eral, and  all  young  people  in  particular,  ex- 
cept the  chosen  few  whom  Deacon  Prime 
represented,  and  with  whom  the  wisdom  of 
the  town  was  expected  to  die. 

The    exercises    commenced    with    reading. 
Some   humorous   pieces   were   read,  in  which 


202      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Mr.  Everett  bad  taken  great  pains  to  secure 
in  his  pupils,  a  natural  expression,  and  a  just 
modulation  of  the  voice.  Deacon  Turner's 
daughter,  Martha,  and  Miles  Aldeu,  entered 
into  this  kind  of  reading  with  spirit.  It  was 
a  little  in  the  line  of  their  exhuberant  love 
of  fun.  The  teacher,  with  an  excusable  weak- 
ness, showed  them  off  by  giving  them  each 
a  select  piece,  of  this  character,  from  his 
own  library.  For  a  moment  or  two  the 
solemn  gravity,  for  which*  such  occasions  had 
been  noted  both  before  and  since  the  fathers 
had  fallen  asleep,  was  broken  down.  Mr. 
Curtis  and  Deacon  Turner  smiled,  Squire 
True  was  not  seen  to  scowl,  and  so  the 
school  and  the  greater  part  felt  at  full  lib- 
erty to  laugh,  which  they  did,  much  to  their 
satisfaction.  John  Alden  sat,  fortunately,  in 
a  corner,  a  little  out  of  sight  from  Deacon 
Prime's  seat,  for  he  laughed  until  his  face 
fairly  glowed. 

"This    is    truly   awful    trifling,"    whispered 
Deacon  Prime  to   Doctor  Burt. 


THE    EXAMINATION.  203 

"It  is,"  said  the  doctor,  "and  something 
must  be  done  about  it." 

Next  came  an  examination  in  the  innocent 
but  mischief-making  little  book,  "Colburn's 
First  Lessons  in  Arithmetic." 

"Tut!  tut!"  said  Deacon  Prime,  reading 
the  first  few  questions,  "what  have  we  here?" 

This  was  said  in  an  undertone  to  Dr.  Burt, 
who  replied,  "It's  one  of  the  new  teacher's 
follies.  It's  got  no  Kule  of  Three  in  it ! " 

Both  looked  very  solemn  during  the  ex- 
amination, which  was  very  spirited,  giving 
earnest  of  the  revolution  in  our  schools  in 
tho  method  of  teaching  Arithmetic,  which  this 
text-book  has  effected.  Mr.  Curtis  was  de- 
lighted. Deacon  Turner  had  given  it  a  suffi- 
cient examination  to  see  its  great  value. 
Squire  True  looked  puzzled,  and  was  dis- 
posed to  keep  his  opinion  of  this  part  of 
the  examination  to  himself.  But  John  Alden 
held  a  copy  of  the  book  in  his  hand,  and 
seemed  entirely  absorbed  in  the  way  the 
scholars  answered  the  questions. 


204      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

But  we  will  turn  our  attention  to  a  few 
of  the  scholars.  There  was  the  minister's 
daughter  Jane,  who  showed  not  only  her 
own  diligence  and  good  sense  in  her  studies, 
but  her  parents'  promptings  in  them.  She 
was  quiet,  ready,  and  self-possessed.  Mar- 
tha Turner's  eye  meant  fun  all  through  the 
examination,  though  she  was  a  deacon's 
daughter.  But  she  did  not  discredit  her 
father's  sacred  position  in  the  church.  She 
never  made  fun  at  the  cost  of  a  schoolmate's 
good  name,  or  sensitive  feelings.  It  was  a 
pleasantry  which  lifted  many  a  desponding 
one  over  a  hard  place.  It  was  a  sunbeam 
often  to  a  darkened  spirit.  Her  wit,  which 
was  keen,  was  always  indulged  in  behalf  of 
the  weakest  party  in  a  dispute.  She  had 
been  the  uniform  friend  of  the  Crones,  and 
when  Zeke  disappeared  from  the  school,  his 
home  and  the  town,  she  wept  like  a  child. 
She  made  the  scholars  slyly  laugh  when  she 
looked  at  the  sombre  faces  of  Dr.  Burt  and 


THE   EXAMINATION.  205 

Deacon  Prime.  The  doctor  was  positively 
vexed  to  meet  the  mischievous  glance  of  her 
eye.  He  would  have  tried  to  trip  her  up 
in  her  recitations,  but  he  felt  that  the 
experiment  would  be  dangerous.  Deacon 
Prime  thought,  when  he  looked  at  her,  that 
it  was  plain  that  his  Brother  Turner  did  not 
make  a  sufficient  use  of  the  rod  in  his  pa- 
rental government;  but  the  scholars,  espe- 
cially the  little  ones  in  the  profound  study 
of  the  Primer,  thought  that  she  was  "just 
as  good  as  she  could  be,"  and  one  little 
"Tot"  declared,  with  great  solemnity,  that 
it  was  his  opinion  "  Mattie  Turner  was  one 
of  God's  angels  run  away  from  heaven  to 
come  to  their  school."  What  the  larger 
boys  thought  they  were  not  so  free  to  say. 
Carver  and  Miles  Alden  passed  the  ex- 
amination like  boys  who  had  studied  and 
thought,  without  having  any  ability  to  shine. 
They  looked  self-relying  and  happy.  But 
the  scholar  towards  whom  all  eyes  were  di- 


206      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

reeled,  was  Thomas  Crone.  His  head  was 
still  bandaged,  which,  with  his  lonely  look 
without  Zeke,  excited  sympathy.  Then  there 
was  so  evident  a  determination  to  struggle 
out  of  the  low  position  in  school  which  the 
Crones  had  occupied,  and  so  much  in  his 
countenance  which  seemed  to  confess  his 
present  inferiority,  that  every  right-minded 
looker-on  wished  him  success.  It  was  evi- 
dent too,  that  the  teacher  was  ready  to  give 
him  every  fair  means  of  appearing  well ; 
indeed,  it  was  plain  that  he  slightly  petted 
him.  The  spelling  match  was  the  last  ex- 
ercise before  the  committee.  Nearly  the 
whole  school  was  arranged  around  the  sides 
of  the  school-house,  and  across  the  front 
seats.  It  was  an  exciting  time  for  children 
and  the  parents  who  were  looking  on.  Even 
the  Alden  boys  looked  just  a  little  anxious 
for  the  result.  They  had  stood  the  fairest 
and  most  thorough  test  of  good  improvement 
in  all  their  recitations  thus  far.  The  spell- 


THE   EXAMINATION.  207 

ing  book  had  been  studied  by  them  care- 
fully, their  mother,  who  knew  their  weakness 
in  this  study,  having  prompted  them  often 
by  her  sensible  remarks  of  its  importance. 
Still,  somehow,  spelling  slips  from  some 
minds,  as  money  does  from  a  spendthrift's 
fingers.  It  seemed  to  do  so  at  times  from 
Miles  and  Carver.  "Yet,"  said  Miles,  "we'll 
spike  the  words  into  our  noddles,  won't  we, 
Carver?"  And  they  had,  by  dint  of  hard 
study,  "  spiked  them  in."  So  they  appeared 
in  the  hour  of  trial,  before  the  august  com- 
mittee, with  only  a  little  perturbation, — just 
enough  to  aid  rather  than  disturb  their  mem- 
ories. 

Martha  Turner's  face,  as  she  stood  in  the 
class,  waiting  for  the  coming  conflict,  was 
wreathed  in  smiles.  It  seemed  to  say,  "I 
will  enjoy  somebody's  success,  if  not  my 
own." 

Thomas  Crone  never  looked  more  intelli- 
gent and  attractive.  His  usually  dull  coun- 


208       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

tenauce  was  animated.  He  stood  erect,  the 
conscious  equal  here,  of  the  majority  of  the 
school. 

Dr.    Burt   commenced   the   examination  by 
giving   out   words    of 

"  Learned  length  and  thundering  sound." 

The  class  had  learned  that  such  words  are 
not  the  hardest  to  spell.  The  words  went 
round,  and  only  one  scholar  sat  down,  he 
having  just  tripped  a  little,  when  the  stern 
voice  of  the  doctor  growled,  "  Sit  down,  sir." 
He  gave  the  Speller  to  Deacon  Prime,  who 
prefaced  his  part  of  the  exercises  by  some 
grave  remarks  on  the  great  neglect,  now-a- 
days,  of  spelling,  while  so  much  time  was 
given  to  "light  reading,"  and  trifling  little 
books  like  the  new  "Kethmetic."  He  then 
gave  out  words,  over  which  he  first  paused, 
spelling  them  out  himself.  Two  more  failed, 
and  were  sent,  with  a  solemn  admonition,  to 
their  seats.  "When  he  put  the  word  to  Mat- 


THE    EXAMINATION.  209 

tie  Turner,  she  paused,  just  a  moment,  as 
if  hesitating  about  the  spelling.  But  it  was 
like  the  pause  of  a  racer  who  feels  sure  of 
winning  the  race.  She  fixed,  the  while,  her 
quizzical  eyes  on  the  deacon,  until  every 
scholar  was  ready  to  laugh  outright.  He 
felt  the  joke,  and  was  provoked,  but  the 
shot  that  annoyed  him  was  from  a  masked 
battery,  and  he  dared  not  move.  He  was 
about  to  say  "the  next,"  when  Mattie  spelt 
the  word  so  glibly,  and  with  such  force  and 
distinctness,  that  every  syllable  shot  through 
him.  He  passed  his  book  to  Squire  True, 
and  sat  down,  feeling  like  a  man  who  has 
been  thrown  in  a  wrestling  match. 

The  squire  was  coldly  fair,  gave  the  class 
a  rather  easy  word  round,  and  called  upon 
Deacon  Turner.  The  class  at  once  relaxed 
from  their  stiff  attitude,  into  an  easy  posi- 
tion, as  in  the  presence  of  a  friend.  Sym- 
pathy is  electrical.  It  is  not  seen  but  felt; 
nor  can  one  always  tell  whence  it  comes  or 

u 


210      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

whither  it  goes ;  yet  its  presence  can  no 
more  be  mistaken  than  can  the  presence  of 
sunshine.  So  the  class  were  at  once  in  the 
most  cordial  sympathy  with  their  examiner. 
It  was  as  if  one  of  their  own  number  asked 
the  questions.  The  words  given  out  were 
harder  to  spell  than  any  before  given,  yet 
none  missed. 

Mr.  Curtis  was  now  expected  to  put  words 
to  the  class,  until  all  but  one  should  have 
missed  and  set  down,  and  he  brought  the 
trial  to  a  speedy  close,  by  giving  them  short 
words  in  common  use,  which  sound  alike, 
but  have  a  different  spelling  and  meaning. 

Thomas  Crone  stood  with  the  four  last  — 
the  others  were  Martha  Turner  and  the  Al- 
dens.  The  first  cloud  which  had  been  seen 
on  Mattie's  face,  lingered  there  for  a  moment 
when  Thomas  tripped  and  sat  down.  She 
declared  afterwards,  that  if  Tom  had  beat 
the  Aldens,  she  would  have  spelt  the  next 
word  wrong  on  purpose.  But  she  tried  her 


THE   EXAMINATION.  211 

best  to  beat  Carver  and  Miles,  and  she  did 
it. 

Now  came  the  "remarks."  It  was  already 
late.  The  little  ones  lolled  wearily  from  side 
to  side.  Mr.  Curtis  spoke  a  few  words  of 
discriminating  praise.  He  commended  the 
labors  of  the  teacher,  "as  faithful,  thorough 
and  progressive."  Deacon  Turner  thanked 
God  that  he  was  permitted  to  see  his  chil- 
dren enjoy  privileges  so  greatly  in  advance 
of  those  he  had  received.  The  squire  said 
that  all  had  done  "very  tolerably  well." 

"Be  faithful,  Brother  Burt,"  whispered 
Deacon  Prime.  "My  infirmities  won't  let 
me  speak." 

The  doctor  rose  with  great  solemnity.  It 
seemed  to  the  children  to  grow  suddenly 
darker  in  the  school-room,  when  he  stood 
erect.  "I  have,"  he  remarked,  "a  duty  to 
do,  which  I  dare  not  evade,  though  it  is 
painful  to  the  flesh." 

Deacon  Prime  nodded  assent,  and  actually 
smiled. 


212       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN-  FAEM. 

"There  has  been  great  levity  in  the  school- 
room to-day.  And  it  pains  me  to  be  obliged 
to  say  that  this  was  encouraged  at  the  very 
commencement  of  our  exercises,  by  your 
teacher,  in  the  kind  of  reading  lessons  given 
to  the  scholars." 

The  doctor  looked  over  his  glasses,  right 
at  the  young  teacher.  Deacon  Prime  groaned 
audibly.  Mr.  Everett  had  taken  his  chair 
at  the  commencement  of  the  addresses,  and, 
very  accidently  of  course,  placed  it  against 
the  end  of  the  seat  in  which  Mattie  Turner 
sat.  "When  the  doctor  uttered  his  reproof  to 
the  teacher,  she  leaned  forward  before  him, 
so  that  her  eyes  took  the  range  of  the  doc- 
tor's, and  screened  in  part  those  of  her  loved 
instructor's.  The  scholars,  in  turning  in»the 
direction  of  the  speaker's  withering  gaze, 
caught  Mattie's  bewitching  glance.  Te  every 
boy  and  girl  of  them,  her  eyes  exclaimed, 
right  in  the  doctor's  /ace,  "Oh,  fudge  !"  There 
was  a  twitter  all  over  the  house.  The  van- 


THE   EXAMINATION.  213 

quished  doctor  sat  down  in  confusion.  Dea- 
con Prime  groaned  again,  louder  than  before. 
An  old  lady  who  sat  near  him,  not  quite 
comprehending  the  situation,  but  seeing  the 
deacon  clasp  his  hands  together  and  roll  up 
his  eyes  as  if  in  pain,  leaned  forward  and 
whispered,  "Lor  sakes,  deacon,  what's  the 
matter?  Are  you  sick?" 

Mr.  Curtis  arose  just  at  this  moment.  He 
said  he  was  aware  that  the  session  had  been 
a  long  one,  and  that  it  was  now  late.  "But," 
he  continued,  "there  is  one  warm  friend  to 
our  children,  who  is  deeply  interested  in  their 
improvement.  You  will  all  be  pleased  to 
hear  from  him.  Brother  Alden  will  make 
some  remarks." 

The  uneasy  rustling  at  once  ceased.  The 
eyes  of  the  little  ones  sparkled  with  delight 
at  the  sight  of  him,  as  he  came  forward  from 
the  corner  in  which  but  few  had  noticed  him. 
The  teacher  came  forward  nearer  to  the 
speaker.  Thomas  Crone's  sad  countenance 


214       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

lighted  up,  as  does  that  of  a  stranger  when 
unexpectedly  meeting  an  old  friend.  Dr. 
Burt  tried  to  look  indifferent  concerning  what 
a  rough,  uneducated  farmer  might  say,  but 
he  could  not  forget,  and  he  would  not  for- 
give, the  humiliation  inflicted  upon  him  when 
he  went  to  Alden  Farm  to  teach  its  propri- 
etor the  true  doctrine  of  temperance.  So  he 
tried  not  to  care  what  he  might  say,  but  his 
restless  eye,  uneasy  hands  and  nervous  mov- 
ing about,  betrayed  him. 

"My  friends,"  said  Alden,  speaking  with 
honest  directness  and  force,  WI  have  experi- 
enced a  loss  by  this  school  this  winter."  He 
paused,  stood  erect,  and  looked  coolly  at  the 
dignified  committee.  The  teacher  and  schol- 
ars seemed  a  little  puzzled,  but  felt  assured 
Mr.  Alden  would  come  out  on  their  side. 
Deacon  Prime  hastily  inferred  he  was  coming 
out  on  the  side  of  the  croakers.  He  whis- 
pered, leaning  forward  and  directing  his  re- 
mark to  Alden,  "You  mean,  Brother  Alden, 


THE   EXAMINATION.  215 

that  your  children  have  experienced  a  loss 
by  the  school." 

"No  sir"  thundered  Alden,  .with  a  look 
which  wilted  the  deacon.  "/  have  lost  by 
the  school !  I  have  lost  my  prejudice  against 
a  young  teacher,  who  has  proved  that  his 
head  is  well  informed,  and  his  heart  in 
the  right  place.  I  have  lost  my  prejudice 
against  new  books  for  our  children  to  study. 
The  new  Arithmetic  has  woke  up  my  young- 
sters' faculty  of  reckoning  amazingly.  It 
has  put  thinking  and  study  into  them.  We 
have  had  Arithmetic  questions  at  Alden  Farm 
for  breakfast,  dinner,  and  supper." 

The  scholars  laughed,  the  teacher  and  min- 
ister smiled,  Deacon  Prime  sighed,  and  the 
doctor  scowled. 

"I  have  lost  still  more,"  continued  Alden. 
"I  have  lost  the  chopping  of  full  a  cord 
of  wood !  My  boys  were  a  little  more 
interested  in  school  than  work,  though 
they  have  worked  with  a  will,  and  I  have 


216       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

caught  the  study  fever,  and  it  has  cost  me, 
friends,  the  chopping  of  a  whole  cord  of 
wood ! " 

John  Alden  screwed  his  mouth  round  into 
such  a  funny  pucker  when  he  said  this,  and 
looked  at  Deacon  Prime  with  such  a  com- 
ical air,  that  the  whole  school  laughed  out- 
right. The  deacon  rested  his  elbow  upon  his 
knee,  his  chin  upon  the  palm  of  his  hand, 
and  sighed.  He  did  not  look  up,  but  his 
ears  took  in  the  painful  sounds  of  levity. 
Dr.  Burt  was  not  so  meek.  He  held  up  his 
head  and  looked  fight.  He  was  just  about 
to  be  rash  enough  to  reprove  the  school  and 
the  offending  speaker,  when  Mr.  Alden  pro- 
ceeded. "But  I  have  received  in  place  of 
the  labor  of  chopping  a  cord  of  wood,  more 
knowledge  of  Arithmetic  than  I  ever  had  be- 
fore. My  boys  have  liad  excited  in  them  a 
thirst  for  study  and  learning,  that  I  esteem 
of  more  value  than  my  whole  farm.  It's  my 
opinion  that  a  new  era  has  commenced  in  the 


THE   EXAMINATION.  217 

history  of  our  school,  from  which  shall  date 
greater  progress  by  our  children  in  useful 
knowledge  than  ever  before.  My  losses, 
then,  friends,  have  been  great  gain.  I  hope 
we  shall  go  on  losing  and  gaining  in  this 
way  for  years  to  come." 

Thus  closed  the  winter  term  of  the  school. 
The  scholars  gathered  about  their  teacher 
uttering  their  "good  bye"  with  a  cordial  and 
sincere  interest.  "I  thank  you,  Mr.  Ever- 
ett, for  being  so  kind  to  me,"  said  Thomas 
Crone,  timidly.  "I  shall  try  to  be  some- 
body!" 

No  farewell  word  fell  on  the  teacher's  ear 
more  gratefully.  It  was  the  hopeful  word 
of  an  oppressed  heart  struggling  upward 
under  the  warming  beams  of  his  Christian 
kindness. 

For  weeks  after  the  close  of  the  school, 
every  household  of  the  town  took  up  the 
subject  of  "  our  school."  The  evident  im- 


218       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

proved  interest  of  the  children  in  all  school 
studies  silenced  all  disparagements.  John 
Alden's  speech  was  another  hit  of  his  good 
luck.  His  influence  for  good  was  never 
greater. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

PATTY  VOSE. 

AMONG  those  who  were  vexed  at  the  al- 
tered spirit  at  Crone's  Corner,  and  who  found 
some  way  to  account  for  it  without  allowing 
any  improvement,  were  the  Organs.  "Crones 
will  be  Crones  still,"  said  Mrs.  Organ.  "It's 
all  outside  washing;  they  are  the  same  old 
hard  folks  at  home,  I'll  warrant." 

But  the  evident  improvement  in  Tom,  and 
the  different  bearing  of  his  parents  ,  towards 
him,  which  was  apparent  in  so  many  ways, 
were  opposed  to  her  assumptions.  But  this 
only  made  her  the  more  clamorous.  She 
was  provoked  too  that  her  Fred  had  fallen 
behind  Tom  in  his  classes,  and  was  gener- 
ally very  much  blamed  for  his  bruised  head, 

219 


220      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

though  she  stoutly  contended  that  Tom's  fall 
was  an  accident.  It  began  to  be  noticed 
that  the  more  sympathy  the  people  of  the 
parish  manifested  for  the  Crone's,  the  more 
bitter  and  loud  were  the  Organs  in  decrying 
them.  If  Zeke  was  named,  and  pity  was 
expressed  for  his  parents,  Mrs.  Organ  grew 
red  in  the  face  with  excitement.  Her  words 
of  denunciation  at  such  times,  of  their  treat- 
ment of  the  missing  boy,  whom  she  called 
"poor  fellow,"  knew  no  bounds. 

Among  those  who  greatly  rejoiced  at  the 
hopeful  look  at  the  Corner,  and  the  history 
during  the  winter,  of  the  school,  was  Martha 
Yose  —  known  as  Patty, — whom  we  met  at 
the  Alden  Farm  husking.  Her  dwarfed  body 
and  shriveled  limbs  grew  neither  stronger 
nor  larger.  But  her  mind  had  caught  fresh 
vigor  from  the  labors  of  fhe  young  teacher. 
He  had  visited  her  often,  and  through  his 
occasional  help  she  had  thoroughly  learned 
Cohburn's  Arithmetic.  It  would  not  have 


PATTY   VOSE.  221 

done  for  the  croakers  against  the  school  to 
come  within  Patty's  reach.  Gifted  with  a 
fine  flow  of  language,  perfect  self-command, 
and  a  Christian  spirit  which  grew  daily  more 
Christ-like,  she  disarmed  her  opponents  of 
all  prejudice  against  what  she  had  to  say, 
and  then  stated  and  urged  her  case  with 
melting  power.  Thomas  Crone  had  just 
begun  to  find  in  her  an  ever  ready  helper 
of  all  his  manly  efforts  of  self-elevation. 
Patty's  home  was  an  humble,  but  comfort- 
able one.  She  was  the  only  child  of  a 
widowed  mother,  who  owned  the  house.  A 
barn,  a  garden,  a  small  orchard,  and  a  few 
acres  of  land,  belonged  to  the  place.  These 
last  the  widow  Vose  had  sometimes  let,  or 
otherwise  turned  to  profit  as  best  she  could. 
Patty  took  in  sewing  for  the  neighbors,  and 
her  mother  was  an  ever  ready  helper  of 
the  sick  of  wealthier  families,  by  which  a 
comfortable  income  was  secured.  So  the 
two  lived  for  and  in  each  other,  in  frugal 


222       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAKM. 

independence,  owing  no  man  and  envying 
none.  Charitable  offerings  did  not  often 
enter,  but  frequently  went  from  their  home. 
But  above  these  they  had  a  priceless  treasure 
to  bestow  which  made  many  rich.  They 
bestowed,  by  example  in  holy  living,  by 
a  Christian  spirit  which  breathed  in  their 
words  and  acts,  and  by  a  divinely  inspired 
wisdom  which  distilled  as  the  dew,  treasures 
of  grace.  Those  seeking  to  know  Christ 
found  in  them  apt  teachers.  The  burdened 
in  heart  often  went  away  casting  all  their 
care  on  the  great  Helper.  The  desponding 
were  cheered,  as  much  by  the  atmosphere 
they  breathed  at  "  Hope  Cottage,"  as  by 
the  words  which  were  spoken.  All  classes 
of  people,  who  loved  the  atmosphere  of  a 
Christian  home  sought  Hope  Cottage.  Gos- 
sipers  avoided  it,  for  it  became  well  under- 
stood that  for  them  no  listening  ears  were 
there.  Mere  idlers  did  not  go,  for  Patty 
was  always  busy  except  when  there  was 
good  to  be  done. 


PATTY  VO8E.  223 

"Patience,"  said  John  Alden  to  his  wife, 
soon  after  the  school  had  closed,  "what  a 
spirit  of  study  does  possess  our  boys !  I 
overheard  Carver  and  Miles,  as  they  were 
shelling  corn  this  forenoon,  .talking  over  their 
plans ;  Miles  said  he  was  a-going  to  be  a 
great  statesman,  for  Mr.  Everett  said  a  boy 
could  make  himself,-  by  hard  work  and  an 
honest  heart,  about  what  he  pleased.  Car- 
ver said  he  hadn't  made  up  his  mind  what 
he  should  be,  but,  'maybe  a  minister.' 
They  seemed  very  serious  in  their  talk,  and 
hinted  at  plans  for  study  during  the  summer. 
Now,  Patience,  I  kind  of  hate  to  keep  them 
to  work  all  summer  on  the  farm.  Maybe 
their  relish  for  books  will  die  out  over  the 
planting,  hoeing,  haying  and  harvesting." 

"  I've  been  thinking  of  that  myself,"  said 
Patience,  in  her  peculiarly  quiet,  thoughtful 
way.  "  I  have  a  plan  in  my  mind,"  she 
added,  without  emotion,  and  without  taking 
her  eyes  from  her  work. 


224      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

"There,  Patience!"  exclaimed  John,  with 
animation,  "you  are  always  getting  ahead 
of  me  by  your  plans.  Let  me  tell  you 
mine  first." 

John  moved  his  chair  up  nearer  to  Pa- 
tience, and  looked  lovingly  into  her  face, 
and  remarked,  roguishly,  before  detailing  his 
plan,  "A  man  don't  want  always  to  be  in- 
debted to  his  wife  for  the  best  management. 
It's  been  the  plague  of  my  married  life  ! " 

"You're  a  boy,  John,"  said  Patience,  turn- 
her  face  dangerously  near  to  his,  and  adding, 
"Now  do  state  your  plan." 

"You  know  there  is  old  Dr.  Peters'  Acad- 
emy on  Cedar  Hill.  It  is  not  more  than 
twenty  miles  from  here.  He  is  said  to  be 
a  good  scholar,  only  rather  stiff  and  formal. 
After  the  spring  planting  is  done,  we  might 
spare  them  until  fall.  I  won't  turn  up  so 
much  ground  as  common,  and  we  must  econ- 
omize, for  the  sake  of  educating  the  boys. 
Who  knows,  Patience,  but  God  may  convert 


PATTY  VOSE.  225 

Carver  and  Miles,  and  make  one  a  minister 
and  put  the  other  into  a  place  to  bless  the 
country?  You  can  fix  up  their  clothes  as 
no  other  woman  can,  and  they  won't  be  ex- 
travagant, I  know." 

Mr.  Alden  was  disappointed,  and  almost 
vexed  —  would  have  been  if  grace  had  not 
long  since  taught  him  a  better  way  —  at 
Patience's  cool  and  simple  nod  of  the  head, 
at  each  point  in  the  development  of  his  plan. 
He  waited  awhile  for  an  enthusiastic  concur- 
rence, but  none  being  tendered,  he  tipped 
back  in  his  chair,  clasped  his  hands  behind 
his  head,  and  asked,  "What  do  you  think 
of  my  plan,  Patience?" 

"Kather  expensive,"  remarked  Patience, 
working  with  renewed  diligence. 

"We  have  a  few  hundreds  laid  up,  you 
know?"  suggested  her  husband. 

"But  you'll  want  that  when  they  go  to 
college,  maybe." 

"College!"  exclaimed  Mr.   Alden,  starting 

16 


226       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

to  his  feet  and  pushing  his  'fingers  through 
his  hair,  and  brushing  it  up  until  it  stood 
erect  on  his  head.  He  began  to  understand 
Patience.  She  was  taking  a  more  compre- 
hensive view  of  the  boys'  education,  than  he 
had  done.  "But,"  he  queried,  "they  must 
go  to  the  academy  before  they  go  to  col- 
lege?" 

"Now,  husband,"  replied  Patience,  laying 
clown  her  work,  and  turning  towards  the 
fire,  and  pointing  to  a  chair  to  have  him  sit 
down  by  her,  "there  is  where  I  think  your 
plan  is  faulty." 

"What  do  you  propose,  Patience?"  said 
Mr.  Alden,  drawing  his  chair  close  to  that 
of  his  wife. 

"Why,  send  them  to  Patt}V  said  Patience, 
decidedly. 

John  was  silent  for  a  few  moments.  He 
then  began  in  his  usual  thorough  way  to 
turn  his  wife's  plan  over,  and  look  at  it 
from  every  point  of  view.  The  more  he 


PATTY   VOSE.  227 

did  so,  asking  questions  and  suggesting  ob- 
jections, the  more  he  liked  it.  Patty  had 
studied  Latin  and  Greek  under  Mr.  Curtis' 
instruction,  for  several  years.  Mr.  Curtis 
had  prepared  several  young  men  for  college, 
was  known  as  a  thorough  scholar,  but  was 
too  much  engaged  now  in  parish  matters  to 
do  so.  He  had  often  said  that  Patty  was 
more  critical  in  the  languages  than  most  of 
his  college  classmates.  She  was  an  enthu- 
siast in  these  advanced  studies,  reading  them 
as  most  of  her  age  read  the  lighter  literature. 

« Old  Dr.  Peters  of  Cedar  Hill  Academy," 
suggested  Patience,  "is  about  like,  in  his 
sphere,  our  old  master  Paul,  who  taught  our 
school  so  long.  He  don't  love  boys.  I 
don't  believe  in  a  teacher  who  don't  love 
boys." 

"You  are  right,"  said  John.  "Our  Miles 
said  when  the  doctor  preached  for  Mr.  Cur- 
tis, that  his  face  looked  as  if  it  were  bitten 
some  time  by  a  January  frost,  and  never 
thawed  out." 


228      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"The  boys  are  at  that  age  when  their 
moral  improvement  is  best  given  at  home." 

"Eight  again,"  said  John,  growing  warm 
in  his  admiration  for  his  wife's  plan. 

"If  they  remain  at  home,"  continued  Mrs. 
Alden,  "they  will  be  under  the  preaching 
and  pastoral  care  of  Mr.  Curtis,  who  says 
he  sees  some  signs  of  the  outpouring  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  upon  us.  If  that  comes,  we 
shall  want  the  boys  here,  you  know,  to 
share  in  its  great  benefits." 

Mr.  Alden  assented  with  increasing  emo- 
tion, while  his  wife  quietly  added,  "They 
will  be  at  home,  too,  to  assist  you  night 
and  morning,  and  to  come  to  your  help  in 
any  emergency  on  the  farm.  I  have  a  no- 
tion that  some  out-door  wTork  does  not  hurt 
boys  who  study." 

"There  it  is  again!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Aldeu, 
"  my  plan  is  all  upset  by  a  woman !  It's 
nowhere  when  compared  with  my  wife's. 
You  are  a  witch,  and  I'll  have  you  re- 
ported —  " 


PATTY   VOSE.  229 

"Don't,  John,  they  hang  witches!"  inter- 
posed Patience. 

"  I  will,  though !  This  very  week  I'll  re- 
port you  —  to  Patty,  who  shall  know  how 
you  bewitch  me  out  of  my  own  plans  into 
an  adoption  unanimously  of  yours,  and  she 
shall  render  a  verdict  in  the  case." 

"Patty  is  mercifully  inclined,"  remarked 
Patience. 

Patty  was  delighted  with  the  proposal  from 
the  Aldens.  Arrangements  were  at  once 
made  in  reference  to  the  hours  of  recitation 
each  day.  The  boys  were  to  continue  their 
English  studies,  giving  them  at  present  the 
most  of  their  time,  with  easy,  occasional 
lessons  in  the  Latin  Grammar.  They  were 
to  do  all  the  work,  in  return,  on  the  little 
farm  of  Patty's  mother.  Besides,  there  was 
to  be  such  money  payment  as  might  seem 
right  when  the  plan  was  in  full  operation. 
Patty  knew  she  was  safe  in  leaving  the 
final  compensation  to  Mr.  Alden's  judgment 
and  sense  of  right. 


230       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Carver  and  Miles  were  jubilant  when  the 
arrangement  was  announced  to  them.  They 
lay  awake  full  two  hours  that  night,  after 
they  were  in  bed,  maturing  the  spring  and 
summer  campaign. 

"Won't  we,"  said  Miles,  "make  the  widow 
Vose's  old  place  shine?  It  won't  take  much 
of  our  time,  neither." 

"And  father  shall  see  that  we  can  help  him 
too,"  chimed  in  Carver.  Thus  devising  "lib- 
eral things,"  the  boys  fell  asleep. 

Gossip  was  soon  astir  to  discuss  the  new 
move  at  Alden  Farm.  Old  ladies  looked 
over  the  tops  of  their  spectacles  and  ex- 
claimed, "Lor  sakes  !  what  won't  John  Alden 
do  next!" 

"  "What  are  we  coming  to ! "  exclaimed 
Deacon  Prime ;  "  women  teaching  big  boys  ! 
John  Alden  had  better  keep  his  boys  at 
work,  and  not  spoil  them  with  high  notions 
about  larnin'." 

But    Mr.    Curtis     was    decidedly    gratified 


PATTY  VOSE.  231 

with  the  arrangement.  "It  will  be  for  the 
benefit  of  all  the  parties  concerned.  The 
boys  will  be  well  instructed  in  their  studies, 
and  favorably  impressed  with  regard  to  re- 
ligious things.  Brother  Alden  always  looks 
carefully  into  matters  before  he  moves." 

But  none  were  more  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  this  enterprise,  than  Patty 
herself.  She  commenced  immediately  a  care- 
ful review  of  her  studies,  while  at  the  same 
time  she  was  much  more  engaged  in  read- 
ing the  Scriptures  and  in  prayer.  She  seemed 
lifted  into  another  sphere,  intellectually  and 
morally.  It  appeared  to  her  that  she  now 
understood  why  God  had  given  her  from  a 
child,  a  great  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  un- 
usual aptness  in  attaining  it.  She  thankfully, 
too,  acknowledged  His  hand  in  opening  to 
her  a  long  desired  path  of  greater  useful- 
ness. Her  deformity,  of  body  had  been,  in 
earlier  years,  a  source  of  deep  grief  to  her. 
She  often  went  to  bed  in  tears  and  bitterness 


232       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

of  spirit,  after  seeing  a  company  of  rollick- 
ing children.  Now  she  thanked  God  for  all 
His  dealings  with  her.  She  felt  that  while 
he  had  withheld  with  one  hand,  he  had  boun- 
tifully given  with  the  other.  "The  peace 
that  passeth  understanding,"  filled  her  heart, 
and  thanksgiving  and  supplication  were  con- 
stantly flowing  from  it  to  the  Great  Giver. 
None  who  knew  Patty's  frame  of  mind 
were  surprised  at  a  new  feature  which  she 
proposed  in  reference  to  her  anticipated  wrork. 
She  came  from  her  sleeping  room  one  morn- 
ing with  her  face  aglow  with  delight.  She 
felt  her  heart  "enlarged,"  and  her  "mouth 
opened "  in  prayer  that  morning.  As  was 
usual  with  her  at  such  times,  she  remem- 
bered the  lone  boy  at  Crone's  Corner,  and 
the  lamented  wanderer.  As  she  rose  from 
her  knees,  the  thought  came  to  her,  as  if 
spoken  audibly,  "Invite  Thomas  to  your 
class."  Her  full  heart  answered,  "I  will." 
It  was  this  which  caused  her  face  to  glow 


PATTY   VOSE.  233 

and  her  heart  to  rejoice.  When  she  told  her 
mother  of  this  purpose,  she  mildly  suggested 
that  perhaps  Mr.  Alden  would  object.  For 
a  moment  Patty's  countenance  was  shaded 
with  doubt.  Then  she  exclaimed  joyfully, 
"John  Alden's  family  always  agree  to  any 
project  which  benefits  others." 

There    was   a   very    sober    joy    at   Crone's 

Corner  after  the  close  of  the  school.     Tom's 

i 

improved  position  at  the  examination,  grat- 
ified all.  Jane  and  Betsey  echoed  their 
brother's  praise  as  it  fell  from  their  parents' 
lips.  Yet  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crone  heard  with 
a  slight  feeling  of  regret  Tom's  intimations 
that  he  wanted  to  continue  his  studies.  What 
did  he  want  to  be  studying  so  much  for? 
Their  life-long  narrow  views  of  learning  did 
not  at  once  give  way  when  their  hearts  came 
into  an  improved  condition.  But  they  were 
in  a  good  frame  to  be  instructed.  They 
now  thought  that  nearly  a  whole  winter's 
opportunity  to  study,  in  a  school  so  much 


234       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

better  than  ever  they  had,  had  placed  their 
son  on  nearly  the  top  of  the  Hill  of  Knowl- 
edge. And  then,  how  was  the  farm  work 
to  be  done  by  a  boy  whose  head  was  being 
crammed  with  new  ideas?  He  would  be 
spoiled  by  being  above  his  business.  It 
would  be,  they  argued,  a  sheer  waste  of 
time.  Yet,  we  are  pleased  to  say,  Mrs. 
Crone  did  not  storm  against  it  as  she  once 
would  have  done.  She  only  gave  it  a  quiet 
but  decided  "cold  shoulder." 

This  greatly  burdened  Tom.  He  went 
about  the  work  of  preparing  for  the  spring 
plowing  and  planting,  with  a  resolute  de- 
termination to  do  his  duty  to  his  parents. 
His  studies  were  pursued  in  little  fractions 
of  time,  and  slyly,  as  if  he  was  doing  wrong. 
No  boy  ever  learns  much  with  cowed  and 
burdened  spirits,  and  so  he  was  fast  losing  his 
interest  in  seeking  further  improvement,  and 
thus  in  danger  of  receding  from  the  advanced 
ground  he  had  taken.  Heretofore  his  parents 


PATTY   VOSE.  235 

had  done  wickedly  from  reckless  passion. 
Now  they  simply  erred  from  ignorance,  but 
yet  the  error  was  likely  to  be  very  serious 
in  its  influence  upon  their  boy.  His  interest 
in  his  books  when  once  lost,  would  leave 
him  exposed  to  adopt  his  'old,  bad  habits 
of  employing  his  little  leisure  time. 

Just  at  this  point  in  his  experience,  the 
arrangement  at  Alden  Farm  for  its  boys, 
was  reported  to  them.  It  came  through 
their  neighbor,  an  "Old  Maid  gossiper," 
Miss  Corner.  "Did  you  ever,"  said  Miss 
Corner,  "  see  anything  beat  it !  John  Alden 
is  sartinly  crazy.  Deacon  Prime  thinks  as 
how  he  is,  and  the  deacon  is  never  mis- 
taken." 

"What  has  he  been  doing  now?"  inquired 
Mrs.  Crone,  with  none  of  her  former  enthu- 
siasm in  such  talk.  Miss  Corner  had  felt 
she  was  losing  her  influence  with  the  Crones, 
and  she  had  come,  hoping  to  revive  it  with 
her  present  bit  of  gossip. 


236      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Why,  sartin  as  you're  alive,  he's  a-going 
to  send  his  two  lazy  boys  to  school  all  sum- 
mer !  And  that  isn't  the  whole  on't  neither ! 
He's  a-going  to  send  'em  to  Patty  Yose ! 
There  now  ! " 

Miss  Corner  waited  for  Jerusha  Crone's 
acceptance  of  her  statements,  and  hearty 
agreement  with  her  denunciation.  But  Mrs. 
Crone  simply  remarked  that  maybe  there 
was  some  mistake,  and  added,  "John  Alden's 
folks  are  amazing  lucky  —  somehow  they  do 
hit  on  the  right  way." 

Miss  Corner  was  disgusted.  She  left  the 
house  immediately,  muttering  to  herself,  "Je- 
rusha has  grown  so  crusty  like,  since  Zeke 
run  away,  that  I'll  never  tell  her  anything 
again ! " 

"When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crone  learned  the 
facts  about  the  plan  for  the  boys  at  Alden 
Farm,  it  caused  them  much  talk  when  alone 
at  tjieir  fireside.  John  Alden,  they  agreed, 
was  very  wise.  If  he  was  going  to  encour- 


PATTY   VOSE.  237 

age  the  boys  to  study,  most  likely  that  was 
best.  Besides,  they  learned  that  his  plan 
was  to  have  them  work  some  every  day. 
"Perhaps,"  suggested  Mr.  Crone,  "he  thinks 
he  will  get  about  as  much  work  out  of  them 
as  if  they  wan't  encouraged  to  get  learning." 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Crone,  warmly,  "when 
boys  want  to  study,  it  stands  to  reason  that 
they  will  be  kinder  moping,  if  they  don't 
have  a  chance." 

Silence  followed  this  remark,  and  both 
were  plainly  wandering  away  to  Tom,  with 
painful  associations  with  Zeke. 

Tom  soon  saw  the  altered  bearing  of  his 
parents  towards  his  books.  He  became  less 
shy  when  he  had  a  book  in  hand.  Grad- 
ually he  found  the  way  opening  for  more 
time  for  his  studies,  plainly  by  his  parents' 
arrangement.  His  place  at  the  stand  was 
reserved  for  him,  or  a  candle  and  table 
placed  apart  for  his  use.  The  children  were 
hushed,  if  they  were  unnecessarily  noisy. 


238       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

No  words  were  spoken,  but  actions  and  the 
spirit  which  breathes  in  them  are  often 
"winged  words." 

It  was  just  in  this  state  of  things  that 
Patty's  invitation  to  -Tom,  through  his  par- 
ents, came.  The  Spirit  who  had  prompted 
her  while  in  prayer  for  his  guidance,  to  ten- 
der the  work  of  love,  had  prepared  them 
to  receive  it. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

STUDYING   BY   RULE. 

PRISCILLA  CODLIN,  whose  father,  it  must 
never  be  forgotten,  was  captain  of  the  mili- 
tia company  of  the  town,  had  been  conde- 
scendingly entertaining  the  question  whether 
she  should  honor  Patty  by  becoming  one  of 
her  scholars.  She  had  learned  that  John 
Alden's  plans  were  popular  in  the  end ;  she 
would  therefore  be  thought  to  be  a  partaker 
of  his  wisdom.  She  would,  she  thought,  take 
private  lessons  in  Latin  and  Greek,  having 
long  since  finished  her  education  in  the  more 
common  studies.  But  when  Priscilla  heard 
that  Tom  Crone  was  to  be  among  her  pupils, 
she  was  amazed.  "I  am  astonished!"  she 
exclaimed,  throwing  up  both  hands,  and 

239 


240       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

turning  up  her  one  little  pug  nose  —  she 
would  have  -turned  both  up  if  she  had 
owned  two — "I  am  amazed!"  she  added, 
putting  her  foot  down  with  emphasis,  "at 
Mr.  Alden's  want  of  refinement !  Why  !  did 
you  ever !  his  children  going  to  a  private 
school  with  Tom  Crone  !  Well,  /  shall  not 
go,  that's  settled!" 

So  it  has  gone  into  history  —  that  is  the 
history  of  the  transaction  we  are  writing, — 
that  Miss  Priscilla  Codlin,  daughter  of  Cap- 
tain Ichabod  Codlin,  did  not  become  a  pupil 
of  our  friend  Patty,  and  for  the  reason  above 
stated. 

The  arrangement  first  made  with  Patty  by 
Mr.  Alden  was  this :  The  boys  were  to 
spend  from  ten  to  twelve  A.  M.,  with  her, 
Tuesday  and  Friday  forenoon.  They  were 
then  to  recite  such  lessons  as  had  been  given 
them,  and  receive  her  explanations.  He 
thought  this  would  do  to  start  with.  Be- 
sides, the  spring  work  was  especially  press- 


STUDYING   BY   RULE.  241 

ing,  and  he  desired  too,  to  see,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  how  hard  work  and  hard  study 
would  go  together. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  three  boys  with 

• 

their  new  teacher,  the  time  was  spent  in  a 
pleasant  talk.  Miles  showed  a  little  impa- 
tience at  first,  under  the  talk.  Why  don't 
she  give  us  our  lessons,  and  explain  them, 
if  she's  going  to,  was  an  expression  with 
which  he  would  have  vented  his  vexation  if 
he  had  been  away  from  his  teacher.  But 
he  suon  dismissed  all  uneasiness.  Patty  was 
teaching  them  how  to  study,  and  she  drew 
them  so  gently  into  her  own  systematic  way 
that  they  hardly  knew  how  they  came  by 
the  resolution  to  adopt  her  method.  Miles 
sat  down  in  a  corner, of  the  kitchen  by  him- 

« 

self  that  evening,  and  became  deeply  ab- 
sorbed in  puzzling  over  something  which 
very  much  interested  him. 

"You    mean   to   get    your   lessons    on    the 
sly,"   said   Carver,    good    naturedly.      "  Don't 

16 


242       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAKM. 

get  up  an  ambition  to  beat  Torn  and  me  so 
soon.  Give  us  a  decent  chance." 

Miles  took  no  notice  of  this  bantering. 
After  another  half  hour's  puzzling,  he  handed 
Carver  a  little  slip  of  paper.  It  was  a  plan 
for  the  disposal  of  each  of  the  twenty-four 
hours.  The  hour  of  retiring  was  to  be  nine 
o'clock.  That  generally  had  been  the  hour. 
They  were  to  rise  at  four,  and  study  one 
hour — until  five,  when  the  cattle  were  to 
be  fed,  and  other  work  at  the  barn  done, 
which  would  take  the  time  until  six,  the 
breakfast  hour.  Then  followed  the  family 
devotions.  Miles  put  down  an  hour  for 
breakfast  and  family  prayer.  From  seven 
to  twelve  was  set  down  for  work  on  the 
farm,  as  their  father  might  direct;  dinner  at 
twelve,  and  then  study  until  five,  when  the 
time  to  seven  was  to  be  absorbed  by  chores, 
supper,  family  prayer,  affording  two  even- 
ing hours  for  study. 

Carver  laughed  heartily  at  this  programme, 


STUDYING   BY   RULE.  243 

but  after  a  few  moments  he  whispered  se- 
riously to  Miles,  "Brother,  you  didn't  put 
down  any  time  for  reading  the  Bible  and 
secret  prayer.  You  know  Patty  had  Luther's 
motto  in  Latin  written  and  hung  up  over 
her  study  table.  She  told  us  it  meant,  'To 
pray  weil  is  to  study  well.'" 

Miles  blushed  at  the  reproof,  took  his 
paper  and  corrected  it,  by  putting  in,  as 
Patty  had  suggested,  reading  the  Bible  and 
prayer  on  rising,  and  before  retiring,  and 
always  prayer  before  commencing  to  study. 

"There,"  said  Miles,  handing  the  paper 
back  to  his  brother,  and  speaking  rather 
lightly,  "will  that  do?  It's  too  pious  though, 
and  I  shan't  live  up  to  it.  I'll  scratch  out 
the  prayer  before  studying.  As  to  the  other, 
you  know,  Carve,  we  always  say  our  pray- 
ers when  we  get  up  and  when  we  go  to 
bed." 

"How  about  reading  the  Bible?"  suggested 
Carver. 


244       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAHM. 

"Well,  don't  father  read  at  the  family 
prayers  twice  a  day?"  replied  Miles,  a  little 
petulantly.  "  Won't  that  do  ?  " 

"I  suppose  so,"  said  Carver,  feeling  that 
he  had  said  more  than  became  him  on  a 
matter  in  reference  to  which  his  practice 
had  been  no  better  than  his  brother's.  But 
Patty's  few  words  on  the  subject  of  private 
prayer  and  reading  the  Scriptures  in  con- 
nection with  study,  given  with  modesty  and 
great  tenderness,  had  deeply  impressed  the 
older  brother.  He  yielded  to  his  brother's 
thoughtless  remark  on  not  being  too  pious 
about  the  matter,  while  he  secretly  resolved 
that  he  would  give  more  attention  to  it. 

A  few  days'  experiment  taught  Miles  that 
he  could  not  calculate  quite  so  closely.  One 
morning  little  Jeremiah  was  quite  sick,  and 
the  breakfast  hour  was  delayed,  and  for  the 
same  reason  the  dinner  was  not  eaten  until 
one  o'clock.  Another  morning  was  put  into 
disorder  by  the  boys  themselves.  They 


STUDYING   BY   RULE.  245 

slept  soundly  until  their  father  called  them 
at  five  o'clock. 

"A  plague  take  it!"  said  Miles,  when  he 
saw  the  lateness  of  the  hour.  "It's  no  use 
to  be  systematic.  It  only  bothers  a  fellow 
to  try." 

Carver  laughed,  and  took  the  matter  very 
coolly.  "We'll  soon  make  it  up,"  he  re- 
marked, as  he  dressed  very  deliberately. 

"No,  we  shan't,"  persisted  Miles.  "We 
may  chase  this  hour  all  day,  and  not  catch 
it." 

Some  special  calls  would  occasionally  com- 
pel their  father  to  break  over  his  own  ar- 
rangement of  allowing  the  boys  the  afternoon. 
Nor  was  the  evening  always  at  their  dis- 
posal. Their  place  of  study  was  one  corner 
of  the  great  kitchen,  which,  thanks  to  the 
stove,  always  aglow,  was  as  comfortable  as 
any  part  of  the  room.  But  callers  sometimes 
spent  an  hour  or  more,  talking  so  loud  and 
incessantly,  that  their  heads  became  confused. 


246       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

So  at  the  end  of  a  few  days,  Miles  took  his 
programme  and  wrote  on  the  bottom  in  large 
letters,  "Studying  by  rule  is  all  a  humbug! 
(signed)  Miles  Alden."  He  pushed  the 
paper  along  to  Carver  the  next  morning  just 
as  they  were  sitting  down  to  their  books  at 
half-past  four. 

Carver  took  it,  and  wrote  beneath  Miles' 
signature,  in  a  bolder  hand,  "Studying  with- 
out rule  is  a  greater  humbug.  (Signed)  Car- 
ver Alden." 

Miles  acknowledged  himself  hit,  but  he 
did  not  exactly  see  the  point.  But  nothing 
more  was  said.  Both  were  soon  so  deeply 
absorbed  in  their  lessons,  that  they  had  to 
be  reminded  by  their  mother  that,  "Certain 
creatures  in  the  barn  wonder  if  the  rules  of 
Alden  Farm  are  not  being  broken  to  their 
annoyance."  The  boys  needed  only  this  hint. 
They  scampered  off  to  the  barn  almost  too 
promptly  to  catch  the  last  word,  "annoy- 
ance." But  Miles  did  hear  it,  and  exclaimed, 


STUDYING   BY   RULE.  247 

as  they  entered  the  barn,  half  playfully  and 
half  in  earnest,  "  I  guess  *  rules '  annoy  some- 
body besides  cattle  and  horses." 

"No  rules  would  be  worse,"  insisted  Car- 
ver. 

***** 

Hope  Cottage  was  a  little  nearer  Crone's 
Corner  than  it  was  to  Alden  Farm.  Tom 
was  promptly  in  his  place  on  recitation  days. 
His  lessons  were  not  so  perfectly  learned  as 
were  those  of  his  schoolmates.  Yet  his 
teacher  greeted  him  with  words  of  encour- 
agement only.  The  Alden  boys  had  towards 
him  all  of  the  cordial  good  will  which  they 
had  cultivated  during  the  winter.  To  an 
old  friend  who  bantered  Miles  on  having  a 
Crone  for  a  school  fellow,  he  showed  some- 
thing like  resentment.  "Tom's  company  is 
as  good  as  yours  any  day ! "  was  the  tart 
reply.  It  alienated  for  many  months  old 
friends,  and  Miles  regretted  it,  and  finally 
restored  good  feeling,  by  a  manly  apology. 


248       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

To  a  more  provoking  taunt,  Carver  had  a 
better  answer.  "  If  Tom  is  better  than  we 
are,"  he  replied,  with  that  independence 
which  belonged  to  the  Aldens,  "we  shall  be 
lifted  up  a  piece  by  his  influence.  If  he  is 
below  us,  we  shall  lift  him  up,  and  that 
will  be  still  pleasanter." 

"There's  no  getting  round  John  Alden's 
boys,"  said  the  teaser,  and  walked  away. 
But  candor  requires  us  to  say  that  Carver 
quoted  'the  substance  of  this  remark  from 
Patty,  though  the  application  of  it  to  Tom 
was  his  own. 

Tom's  lessons,  we  stated,  were  not  quite 
as  perfectly  learned  as  were  those  of  the 
other  boys.  He  had  copied  Miles'  rules  for 
systemizing  study  time.  But  things  were 
much  less  orderly  at  the  Corner  than  at 
the  Farm.  Although  his  parents  had  con- 
sented to  give  him  the  same  time  for  his 
books  which  was  granted  to  his  two  friends, 
it  was  subject  to  almost  constant  interruption. 


STUDYING   BY   RULE.  249 

He  became  much  disturbed  —  sometimes  he 
was  vexed  and  discouraged.  He  did  not 
write  down  in  large  letters,  "  Studying  by 
rule  is  a  humbug,"  but  he  often  exclaimed, 
"It's  no  use."  Besides,  Tom  was  constantly 
oppressed  by  a  sense  of  his  loneliness.  "If 
Zeke  was  only  here,"  he  would  involuntarily 
say  to  himself,  and  when  he  saw  Carver 
and  Miles  coining  bounding  along  together 
towards  Hope  Cottage  oft  recitation  day,  he 
wiped  the  unbidden  tear  from  his  pensive 
face. 

The  parents  of  Tom  encouraged  their  boy 
just  as  much  as  they  knew  how.  To  them 
it  was  an  effort  of  parental  sacrifice  and 
duty,  in  an  unpractised  direction.  They 
earnestly  desired  the  "good  luck"  of  Alden 
Farm  in  their  children,  and  they  were  now, 
according  to  their  small  ability,  willing  to 
pay  the  price  it  demanded.  They  were 
"ceasing  to  do  evil,  and  learning  to  do  well," 
and  God  was  daily  increasing  both  their 
strength  and  pleasure  in  the  good  way. 


250       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

« 

In  the  meantime  the  blunders  of  Tom's 
parents,  which  nearly  upset  all  the  good 
there  was  in  him,  were  offset  by  Patty's 
steady  hand,  and  her  keen  perception  both 
of  Tom's  wants  and  their  proper  supply. 

Miles,  one  day,  in  his  good-natured,  bluff 
way,  pushed  his  programme  for  study,  with 
its  emphatic  additions  over  his  and  Carver's 
names,  under  the  eye  of  Patty.  She  -read 
it  all,  and  then  looked  at  the  boys  with  one 
of  her  meaning  smiles. 

"There's  something  coming  about  that  pro- 
gramme," whispered  Miles  to  Carver,  laying 
down  his  book,  and  looking  Patty  attentively 
in  the  face. 

"I  have  had  large  experience  on  this  sub- 
ject for  one  no  older  than  I  am,"  said  Patty. 
"And,"  she  added,  with  a  merry  twinkle 
of  her  eye,  which  always  made  the  boys 
merry  too,  "I  believe  with  Miles,  that 
studying  by  rule  is  a  humbug  — " 

Miles   fairly  jumped    from    his    seat,   clap- 


STUDYING   BY   KULE.  251 

ping  his  hands  with  delight,  to  think  that 
his  teacher  had  indorsed  his  emphatic  note. 
Carver  and  Tom  laughed,  of  course,  for 
Patty's  merry  face  said  they  might,  but 
they  were  a  little  puzzled  to  understand  what 
Patty  could  mean,  since  she 'had  prompted 
some  such  programme  by  her  remarks  on 
being  "very  regular"  in  all  that  was  under- 
taken, "  saving  every  moment  of  time  pos- 
sible." When  the  laugh  was  subsided,  Patty 
continued,  more  seriously,  by  saying,  "and  I 
believe  with  Carver,  that  no  rules  for  study 
are  a  greater  humbug  ! " 

It  was  Carver's  turn  now  to  laugh  out- 
right, which  he  did,  with  a  knowing  glance 
at  Miles. 

"A  plan  of  study,"  continued  the  teacher, 
"is  a  humbug,  especially  for  boys  situated 
as  you  are,  which  has  not  a  large  margin 
for  necessary  interruptions.  Very  persistent 
boys  who  make  them,  fret  when  they  fail 
to  be  able  to  keep  them.  It  plagues  them 
dreadfully." 


252       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"It  annoys  them  as  it  does  the  cows  to 
have  a  late  breakfast,"  whispered  Miles. 

"They  are  not  willing,"  continued  the 
teacher,  "that  their  parents  should  call  them 
away  from  their  books,  however  great  the 
necessity  for  doing  so.  They  feel  like  being 
disobedient,  or  what  is  about  the  same  thing, 
they  want  to  stop,  and  say,  'I  don't  want 
to.  I  shouldn't  think  you  would  make  me. 
I  shall  never  get  my  lesson.'  Or  they  get 
discouraged,  and  say,  'It's  no  use!" 

"That's  me,"  said  Tom  to  himself. 

"I  would  rather  have  you  adopt  this  rule," 
added  Patty,  her  face  becoming  at  once  more 
serious  and  animated  in  its  expression,  "es- 
tablish a  habit  of  improving  every  moment 
in  some  useful  way.  When  duty  or  neces- 
sity does  not  call  another  way,  give  it  to 
study.  A  will  in  study  which  settles  us  into 
a  pleasant,  easy  habit  of  sitting  down  to  a 
book  wrhen  duty  does  not  call  us  in  another 
way,  makes  itself  a  rule.  And  what  is  of 


STUDYING   BY   EULE.  253 

priceless  value,  makes  it  pleasant  for  us  not 
to  study,  if  duty  forbids  it." 

The  boys  had  settled  into  the  mos.t  sober 
attention  before  Patty  had  closed  these  re- 
marks. Tom's  countenance  lost  its  shade  of 
sadness.  Miles  gazed  at  his  teacher  with  a 
look  which  said,  'I  understand  you  —  I  see 
it  now  ! '  and  Carver  folded  his  arms  and  as- 
sumed a  thoughtful  attitude.  Patty  dropped 
her  voice  and  added  at  the  close  of  her  re- 
marks, pointing  to  Luther's  motto  hung  upon 
the  wall,  "Remember  always,  my  young 
friends,  that  'To  have  prayed  well  is  to  have 
studied  well.'" 

The  boys  scampered  home,  frisky  as  young 
colts,  and  light  of  heart  as  the  uncaged 
spring  birds.  The  Aldens,  "just  for  the  fun 
of  it,"  they  said,  accompanied  Thomas  to  the 
gateway  leading  to  his  home.  Then  with 
exclamations,  shouted  out  with  a  hearty  good 
will,  "Good  bye,  Tom!"  "Success  to  you!" 
"Be  on  hand  next  Friday!"  they  turned  their 
faces  and  run  home. 


254       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Mrs.  Crone  came  to  the  doorway  just  in 
time  to  see  the  cordial  good  will  at  parting, 
and  to  hear  the  farewell  shouts.  Tom 
bounded  up  the  path  with  a  "How  d'ye  do, 
mother?"  and  a  vWhat  can  I  do  for  you 
first?" 

The  whole  scene  impressed  itself  so  upon 
the  mother's  now  tender  feelings,  as  con- 
trasted with  the  too  frequent  manner  of  the 
meeting  of  boys  and  mother  in  the  past,  that 
she  buried  her  face  in  her  checked  apron  and 
burst  into  tears.  Tom,  thinking  he  had  in 
some  way  wounded  his  mother's  feelings, 
approached  her  timidly  with  words  of  apol- 
ogy. She  at  once  dropped  her  apron,  and 
threw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  kissed 
him,  weeping  the  while  like  a  child.  This 
turn  of  affairs  at  once  enabled  Tom  to  un- 
derstand the  spirit  of  the  occasion.  It  was 
a  new  inspiration  of  effort  in  the  right  way. 
It  thrilled  his  heart,  and,  added  to  Patt}''s 
winning  ways,  made  him  strong  to  endure, 
and  willing  to  act,  in  the  pathway  of  duty. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MOSE    POND. 

THE  spring  was  fading  off  into  summer. 
The  ground,  mellowed  by  the  plough,  har- 
row and  hoe,  had  received  its  seed.  The 
birds  were  less  engaged  in  song,  and  more 
with  their  nests,  around  which  they  hovered, 
looking  with  pride  and  tender  care  at  their 
contents.  The  Alden  boys  had,  by  permis- 
sion, devoted  their  field  working  hours,  for 
a  few  weeks,  to  the  little  farm  at  Hope 
Cottage.  Patty  often  came  out  with  her 
great  sun-bonnet,  beneath  which  her  little 

N 

form  seemed  hid  away,  and  out  from  under 
which  her  bright  eyes  shone  like  sunbeams 
in  pearly  dew  drops.  Miles  insisted  that 
their  teacher,  on  such  occasions",  "was  real 

256 


256      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

bewitching."  "I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Carver," 
he  would  say,  "Patty  is  handsome  —  she's 
the  prettiest  girl  ill  this  town." 

"She  is  the  smartest  and  best,"  was  Car- 
ver's sober  reply. 

The  little  cultivated  patches  about  the  Cot- 
tage were  beginning  to  show  plainly  the 
springing  seed  which  had  been  planted.  The 
trees  of  the  orchard  had  been  nicely  rid  of 
caterpillars,  which  were  Patty's  detestation. 
Her  often  expressed  faith  that  God  had  made 
nothing  in  vain,  was  severely  tried  when  she 
saw  a  huge  nest  of  these  little  creatures, 
from  which  slimy  tracks  might  be  traced 
over  every  tender  limb  and  twig.  Her  part 
had  been  to  point  them  out  when  the  new 
race  were  yet  in  the  egg,  and  Miles  had 
made  quick  and  thorough  work  with  them, 
by  crushing  them  in  his  gloved  hand. 

Patty  herself  had  made  and  planted  the 
flower  beds,  some  of  which  were  full  of 
beauty  and  sweet  perfume. 


MOSE   POND.  257 

Besides  what  they  had  done  at  the  Cot- 
tage farm,  the  Aldeu  boys  had  been  worth 
at  home,  as  their  father  said,  in  his  spirited 
way,  "A  dozen  mopes,  who  were  dragging 
about  the  farm  because  they  were  compelled 
to  work."  They  had  made  pleasure  of  their 
duty.  The  neighbors  were  very  critical  in 
their  examination  of  the  Alden  Farm,  this 
spring,  to  see  how  its  owner's  experiment 
was  working.  But  the  croakers  found  no 
capital  for  their  grumbling.  Everything  was 
in  order,  as  usual.  His  fields  were  among 
the  most  thrifty  looking.  His  orchards 
were  well  trimmed,  and  cleaned  of  their 
enemies.  No  barns  were  in  tidier  order. 
No  stock  looked  better  satisfied,  or  spoke 
better  words  for  their  owner. 

William  Treat,  whose  life,  long  one  of 
drifting  down  the  Broad  Way,  but  had  been 
one,  since  the  husking,  which  looked  heaven- 
ward, declared,  in  his  enthusiasm  for  his 
good  friend  Aldeu,  that  his  fowls  cackled 

17 


258      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

and  crowed  more  joyously  than  any  others. 
Treat's  old  companion  in  sin,  Mose  Pond, — 
still  about  always  drunk  with  "moderate 
drinking,"  came  and  leaned  upon  the  fence 
of  John  Alden's  corn-field.  He  knew  how 
it  had  always  looked,  but  he  had  hoped  to 
find  the  fences  down,  and  the  weeds  tower- 
ing above  the  corn.  "Lucky  fellow,  is 
this  John  Alden  ! "  muttered  Mose.  "  I  be 
blamed  if  his  corn  wouldn't  grow  and  the 
weeds  die,  if  he,  and  his  stuck-up  boys 
didn't  do  nothing.  It  always  was  his  luck. 
My  corn  won't  grow.  It  never  would,  and 
all  John  Alden's  weeds  are  just  mean  enough 
to  move  off  his  premises  and  stick  themselves 
down  on  my  planting.  I  be  blamed  if  they 
don't !  And  this  here  fence  of  John's  —  why 
a  thousand  tornadoes  couldn't  start  a  strip 
of  it "  —  and  Moses  clinched  the  innocent 
fence,  and,  bracing  his  feet,  jerked  and 
twisted  this  way  and  that,  with  drunken 
fury,  to  prove  that  he  could  do  what  a  tor- 


MOSE   POND.  259 

nado  could  not.  Suddenly  the  fence  gave 
way.  Down  Mose  rolled  full  eight  feet, 
until  he  reached  the  bottom  of  the  banking. 
"It  wouldn't  a  sarved  John  Alden  so,  nor 
none  of  his  stuck-up,  go  to  school  boys ! " 
said  Mose,  picking  himself  up,  and  brushing 
the  dust  from  his  eyes,  and  spitting  the  dirt 
from  his  mouth.  "You  mean  thing,  you," 
added  Mose,  giving  the  board  a  kick,  "go 
tell  yer  owner  to  nail  yer  tighter  next  time, 
so  yer  can  stand  a  fellow's  heft." 

There  was  so  little  comfort  to  the  drunken 
idler  iu  looking  at  John  Alden's  fields,  that 
he  staggered  down,  the  next  day,  to  Crone's 
Corner.  He  had  heard  that  his  boy  too 
had  got  "high  notions."  He  knew  too  that 
one  boy  "was  not."  He  felt  certain  of  com- 
fort here  in  seeing  neglected  fields,  fallen 
fences,  and  a  desponding  farmer.  He  had 
not  quite  reached  the  Corner  before  his  legs 
gave  out.  He  said,  "They'd  been  weak  like 
for  some  time,  and  he  had  taken  his  "mod- 


260       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

erate"  glass  that  very  morning  to  strengthen 
them.  It  was  strange,  he  thought,  they  did 
not  hold  out.  He  laid  it,  however,  to  the 
smallness  of  the  glass.  As  he  sat,  or,  rather 
lay,  under  the  fence,  a  boon  companion  came 
along,  who  was  also  afflicted  with  leg  weak- 
ness. 

"It's  no  use,"  said  his  companion,  "to 
go  down  to  see  Zeke.  I've  been." 

"Temperance  folks  well  nigh  ruined  him, 
hey?"  said  Mose. 

"Xo,  he  and  Jerusha's  real  stuck  up." 

"They've  run  young  Zeke  off,  though," 
said  Mose ;  "  I  oilers  shall  believe  John 
Alden's  folks  rim  him  off.  They's  got  'tothcr 
boy  off  too  under  Patty  Vose's  sun-bonnet ! 
Old  Zeke's  farm  looks  like  crazy,  hey?" 

"Never  looked  half  so  well!  Blamed  if 
it  did !  All  the  temperance  folks  got  luck 
this  year !  Old  Zeke  has  jined  'em.  He 
wouldn't  wet  a  fellow's  whistle  if  it  was  to 
save  him." 


MOSE   POND.  261 

Mose  turned  his  unsteady  steps  homeward. 
It  was  his  last  visit,  or  attempted  visit  to 
the  fields  of  his  neighbors.  He  fell  at  his 
own  gate- way  as  he  had  often  done  before. 
His  wife  and  children  ran  from  him  instead 
of  towards  him,  when  he  fell.  But  his  groans 
soon  brought  them  to  his  relief.  They  lifted 
him  up,  and  the  blood  flowed  freely  down 
his  face.  He  had  struck  his  temple  against 
a  sharp  stone.  Moses  Pond's  "moderate" 
drinking  had  given  him  so  many  falls  and 
cuts  which  had  caused  his  bad  blood  to  flow, 
that  very  little  was  thought  of  this  affair 
by  his  family.  But  no  sooner  had  they 
stopped  the  flow  of  blood,  than  a  wild  start 
or  frantic  gesture  started  it  again.  Dr.  Burt 
was  finally  sent  for.  The  flow  of  blood  was 
prevented,  but  the  patient  became  uncontrolfa- 
bly  delirious.  His  ravings  were  frightful  to 
his  family,  beyond  any  former  experience. 
"See!  see!"  he  exclaimed,  staring  at  a 
fancied  object  in  the  corner  of  the  room. 


262       THE  LUCK  OF  AL.DEN  FAEM. 

"Take  them  away !  take  them  away,  won't 
you  !  Don't  anybody  care  !  They'll  claw  me 
to  death  !  Take  them  off,  I  say  ! "  he  screamed 
with  great  violence. 

Utterly  exhausted  at  last,  Mose  fell  into 
a  quiet  sleep.  When  he  awoke  he  stared 
about,  as  if  to  assure  himself  that  he  was 
with  his  family.  "It's  you,  Eunice,  is  it?" 
he  said,  addressing  his  wife. 

"Yes,  dear,  it  is  your  own  wife." 
"  Come  here,  Becky,"  he  said  to  his  oldest 
child,  a  girl  about  ten  years  old.  Eebecca 
approached  timidly,  as  if  in  doubt  whether 
her  father  was  drunk  or  sober.  He  stretched 
out  his  feeble  hand  and  drew  her  to  his 
face  and  kissed  her.  The  child  looked  con- 
fused. She  had  been  often  struck  and 
kicked,  and  but  seldom  kissed.  He  called 
Jennie,  the  only  other  child,  a  sickly  girl 
of  four  years.  He  stroked  her  flaxen  hair 
tenderly,  kissed  her  and  wept  freely.  Then 
looking  up  into  his  wife's  face,  he  said,  in 


MOSE   POND.  263 

sobbing  accents,  "My  dear,  can  you  ever 
forgive  me?" 

No  such  tender  words  had  she  heard  from 
him  since  he  had  become  a  noisy  advocate 
of  "moderate  drinking."  She  knelt  by  his 
bed-side  and  wet  her  penitent  husband's  face 
with  her  tears. 

"Eunice,  I  must  die,  but  tell  me,  can  you 
forgive  me?" 

"Yes,  dear  husband,  I  do,  but  you  must 
not  die.  You  must  live  to  comfort  us." 

"I  must  die,  Eunice,"  he  said,  more  feebly. 

"Shall  I  send  for  your  good  friend,  Dea- 
con Prime?"  inquired  his  wife.  The  dying 
man  shook  his  head,  and  whispered,  "Cur- 
tis —  John  " — 

"The   minister?" 

"Y-e-s,    and   J-o-h-u." 

"John   Alden?"    said   his   wife. 

He  nodded  assent,  and  sunk  back  upon 
his  pillow,  scarcely  giving  signs  of  life. 

The   minister   and  John  Alden   were   soon 


264  THE   LUCK   OF  ALDEN   FA  KM. 

present,  and  both  prayed  fervently  and  ten- 
derly for  God's  mercy  to  be  granted,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  "even  as  to  the  thief  upon  the 
cross."  Moses  opened  his  eyes  and  looked 
with  apparent  consciousness  upon  Mr.  Alden, 
as  if  his  last  thoughts  were  of  the  groat 
truths  of  religion  which  he  had  so  often 
urged  in  vain  upon  his  attention,  and  then 

closed  them  in  death. 

***** 

Moses  Pond  was  buried  quietly,  as  was 
fitting  he  should  be,  from  his  own  home, 
now  full  of  mourning,  but  not  more  desolate 
than  his  life  had  made  it.  The  next  Sab- 
bath a  solemn  and  large  audience  listened 
to  the  words  of  the  faithful  pastor.  He 
closed  his  sermon  with  tender  entreaty  to 
all,  especially  to  the  young,  to  give  their 
hearts  to  God  —  to  turn  from  every  evil 
way,  especially  that  of  the  intoxicating  cup. 
"I  warn  you,"  added  the  preacher,  with  a 
fervor  that  melted  the  congregation,  "against 


MOSE   POND.  2 1)5 

the  first  glass!  The  time  has  fully  cornel" 
he  exclaimed,  with  a  tone  of  authority,  "to 
declare  that  total  abstinence  is  the  only  tem- 
perance." 

There  was  a  commotion  in  the  parish  the 
following  week.  Dr.  Burt  demanded  a  par- 
ish meeting  to  consider  the  pastor's  heresy 
of  faith  on  the  temperance  question.  He 
went  about  arguing  warmly  that  lie  had  not 
been  the  cause  of  Mose  Pond's  dreadful 
death,  though  nobody  accused  him.  "Mose," 
he  declared  everywhere,  "would  take  too 
much  in  spite  of  all  my  faithful  and  kind 
warnings.  I  knew  he  took  too  much  and 
told  him  so.  Am  7  to  blame  because  he 
died  a  drunkard  ? " 

John  Alden  now  roused  himself,  like  a 
lion  whose  lair  is  invaded  by  the  hunters. 
He  held  temperance  meetings  in  every  neigh- 
borhood in  town,  the  people  flocking  to  hear 
him,  and  signing  the  pledge. 

Patty  said   she   never   wanted    so   much   to 


266       THE  LUCK  OF  ABDEN  FARM. 

be  a  minister.  But  she  thanked  God  that 
her  minister  was  on  the  right  track.  She 
at  once  set  herself  at  work  to  do  what  she 
could  in  her  own  way.  She  had  three  at 
least  trusty  servants  at  her  command.  She 
reckoned  them  a  host.  She  gave  her  three 
scholars  a  prompting  to  get  up  a  boys'  tem- 
perance society. 

"What  can  we  do?"  inquired  Tom,  timidly. 

"You  can  do  a  great  deal!"  said  Patty, 
with  spirit.  Then  suddenly  checking  her 
earnestness,  she  added,  in  a  lower,  gentle 
tone,  "I  mean  if  you  seek  divine  help.  How 
I  wish  my  boys  knew  hoio  to  pray  aright." 

Patty  wrote  for  the  boys  a  pledge,  and 
gave  each  a  copy.  They  agreed  to  see,  be- 
fore many  weeks,  every  boy  in  town.  They 
divided  off  the  town  into  districts,  and  each 
took  an  assigned  territory.  As  the  boys 
were  going  out,  after  having  received  their 
pledges,  Miles  lingered  for  a  moment  behind. 
There  was  a  half  serious,  half  comical  ex- 


POND.  267 

pression  about  his  face,  not  uncommon  with 
him. 

"Well,  Miles,"  said  Patty,  approaching  him 
in  her  gentle,  loving  way,  "what  do  you 
wish  to  say  ? " 

"Can't  you,  teacher,  do  the  praying  about 
this  business,  while  we  do  the  work?"  whis- 
pered Miles.  "I  don't  think  we  boys  can 
any  how." 

Having  freed  his  mind,  Miles  did  not  wait 
for  an  answer.  He  soon  overtook  Carver  and 
Tom,  and  the  three  talked  over  their  plans 
about  the  new  enterprise.  They  thought 
they  knew  the  name  and  residence  of  every 
boy  in  town.  So  they  agreed  to  write  them 
down  that  evening.  The  Aldens  generously 
offered  to  take  a  part  of  those  assigned  to 
Tom,  for  they  saw  he  was  quite  timid  about 
the  business. 

Tom  told  his  mother  at  once,  what  Patty 
had  proposed  for  her  scholars  to  do. 

She  received  the  statement  quite  coldly  at 


268       THE  LUCK  OF  ALPEN  FARM. 

first.  Her  son's  courage,  never  great,  went 
down  to  utter  cowardice.  "  I  can't,"  strug- 
gled for  utterance.  In  the  mother's  mind 
there  was  a  conflict.  Old,  narrow  views 
were  warring  with  new  and  better  ones.  Her 
husband  felt  in  the  same  manner,  though  he 
waited  for  his  wife  to  declare  her  feeling. 
The  fireside  talk,  just  before  retiring,  brought 
the  matter  to  a  decision. 

"I  should  think,"  said  Mrs.  Crone,  "that 
Tom  had  enough  to  do  already." 

"I  should  think  so,"  replied  her  husband. 
There  was  a  moment's  silence. 

"It  would  do  Tom  good,  I  suppose,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Crone,  dreamily. 

"It   certainly   would,"   said   Mr.    Crone. 

Another  pause,  and  Mrs.  Crone  remarked, 
"The  Alden  boys  will  do  it  all  if  he  don't. 
They'll  have  all  the  boys  with  them  too, 
I'll  warrant.  Aldens  can  always  make  folks 
go  with  them,  and  I  wonder  why  our  boy 
can't  do  something  as  well  as  they!" 


MOSE   POND.  269 

"I  should  think  he'  might,"  said  Ezekiel 
Crone,  decisively. 

The  parents  having  reached  a  satisfactory 
conclusion  on  the  matter,  the  mother  re- 
ported to  Tom  accordingly.  Tom's  courage 
went  up  again.  He  had  just  that  timid  na- 
ture which  needed  sympathy,  and  wanted 
courage  breathed  into  him  from  a  stronger 
nature.  Then  he  could  work  well  in  a  good 
cause  —  work  persistently,  and  reap  for  him- 
self and  others  a  'harvest.  He  and  Miles 
were,  as  Patty  said,  good  complements  for 
each  other.  Miles  liked  sympathy,  but  nei- 
ther sought  it  nor  depended  upon  it.  A 
little  opposition  was  a  spur  to  his  resolution. 
He  had  strong  convictions,  and  a  will  strong 
enough  to  act  up  to  them. 

Tom  put  unusual  energy  into  his  part  of 
the  farm  work,  and  every  time  he  went  out 
with  his  paper  for  "signers,"  he  came  back 
with  greater  self-respect  and  moral  power. 
If  at  any  time  his  heart  was  growing  faint 


270       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

under  an  unexpected  rebuff,  when  he  "com- 
pared notes "  with  Miles,  he  was  strong 
again.  One  day  as  he  was  arguing  for 
total  abstinence  and  the  pledge,  a  special 
friend  and  disciple  of  Doctor  Burt  broke  in 
upon  his  talk.  His  name  was  Green.  He 
was  about  ten  years  older  than  Tom. 

"Look  here,  now,  you  young  meddler," 
said  Green,  breaking  in  upon  Tom's  conver- 
sation, "you  talk  like  a  ninny.  What  do 
you  know  about  the  matter  any  way?  Do 
you  know  more  than  all  the  doctors?  Dr. 
Burt  has  studied  at  college.  He's  got  laru- 
iu'.  He  says  a  little  liquor's  good  for  a 
man,  and  au't  all  our  fathers  used  it  —  the 
ministers,  and  all  good  folks!  Now,  it  isn't 
likely  they'd  a  used  it  if  it  was  such  an 
awful  bad  thing.  You're  trying  to  get  away 
the  rights  of  the  boys  by  that  are  pledge." 

Tom  modestly  suggested  that  every  drunk- 
ard began  by  taking  a  little ;  that  when  peo- 
ple began  to  drink  it  was  not  easy  to  take 


MOSE   POND.  271 

only  a  little,  nor  to  leave  off  when  they 
found  it  hurt  them.  He  cited  Mose  Pond's 
case,  as  an  illustration  of  the  evils  of  mod- 
erate drinking. 

Tom  had  good  arguments,  and  Green  a 
loud  voice  and  a  bad  temper.  When  Tom 
named  Pond,  Green  exclaimed,  shaking  his 
fist  in  Tom's  face,  "Torn  Crone,  you're  a 
fool !  All  the  Crones  are  fools,  and  always 
was!"  To  these  insults  Green  added  a  vio- 
lent push,  saying,  as  Tom  went  reeling  against 
the  fence,  "What  do  you  think  yourself  to 
be?  Sich  as  you  trying  to  tell  folks  when 
they  ought  to  drink  ! " 

Tom  pursued  his  mission  work  no  further 
that  day.  It  was  his  first  experience  in  a 
violent  return  of  evil  for  his  good.  He  .had 
not  learned  to  rejoice  at  it,  nor  to  feel  that 
it  was  for  Christ's  sake.  He  did  not  recover 
from  the  disheartening  blow  until  he  had  re- 
ceived the  sympathy  of  his  mother  and  of 
the  Aldeus.  When  Miles  heard  Tom's  story 


272       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

concerning  his  contact  with  Green,  Miles 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  saying,  "Mean  to 
hunt  up  Green  next  time  I  go  out,  wouldn't 
you,  Carver?" 

"Don't  know  as  I  should,"  replied  Carver. 
"You  will  cast  your  pearls  before  swine, 
maybe." 

"Oh,  it's  not  a  pearl  I  am  going  to  throw 
at  him,"  said  Miles,  laughing. 

"What   will  you  throw  at   him?" 

K  Hard   arguments." 

"  And  what  if  he  laughs  at  them  ? " 

"Why,  I'll  let  him  laugh." 

"But  what  more  than  argments  will  you 
use  with  Green?" 

"Facts." 

"Father  says  facts  are  the  best  kind  of 
arguments,"  added  Carver. 

"Yes,"  replied  Miles,  with  a  significant 
nod  of  his  head,  "especially  when  they  hit 
as  hard  as  mine  will  hit  Green." 

The  boys  separated.     There  was  something 


MOSE   POND.  273 

in  the  defiant  spirit  of  Miles  toward  Green 
that  made  Tom  ashamed  that  he  had  allowed 
so  worthless  a  fellow,  who  so  meanly  de- 
fended a  bad  cause,  to  burden  him.  "I  wish 
I  did  have  more  courage  when  I  know  I'm 
right,"  he  said  to  himself,  as  he  walked 
thoughtfully  home. 

Miles  found  no  difficulty  in  meeting  Green. 
He  found  him  where  he  was  generally  to  be 
found,  lounging  about  the  grocery  store  sta- 
bles. Green's  triumph  over  Tom  was  so 
easy  in  his  own  estimation,  that  he  counted 
on  an  equally  easy  task  in  sending  home 
abashed  any  temperance  boy.  He  was  be- 
coming very  insolent,  and  a  great  hindrance 
to  the  further  circulation  of  the  pledge 
among  the  young  folks.  Miles  commenced 
his  efforts  to  get  pledges  in  the  presence  of 
this  defiant  advocate  of  rum.  Green  at  once 
strode  towards  him,  and  began  his  denun- 
ciation of  all  teetotalism.  He  rehearsed  the 
old  argument  of  a  little  being  good  for  one, 

18 


274      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

and  sneered  at  boys  pretending  to  know 
"more'n  the  doctors,"  and  being  "wiser  than 
all  the  fathers." 

"How  much  is  fa  little  rum'?"  said  Miles. 
"Why,  as  much  as  will  do  a  man  good." 
"How  much  will  do  a  man  good,  hey?" 
"Why  —  yes  —  as  much  as  makes  him  feel 
better.     I  don't  believe,   you  see,   in  getting 
drunk." 

"Just  so  much  as  Mose  Pond  always  had 
—  only  just  enough  to  make  him  feel  bet- 
ter. He  never  had  too  much,  in  his  own 
judgment." 

"Mose  was  a  fool,  and  so  are  you." 
Not  regarding  the  personal  insult,  Miles 
confronted  Green  with  an  unflinching  bravery, 
and  demanded,  in  a  clear,  strong,  unfaltering 
voice,  "Do  you  know  what  a  little  is?  —  do 
you  know  when  you  get  enough?" 

"  Yes,"  was  the  faltering  reply,  as  Green 
looked  upon  Miles'  honest,  bold  face  and 
searching  eye,  and  upon  the  crowd  of  boys 


MOSE    POND.  275 

who  had  gathered  about  them,  all  of  whom 
knew  his  habits  well. 

"Yes,  sir"  replied  Miles,  in  a  voice  so 
vociferous  that  he  made  every  boy  in  the 
crowd  feel  the  force  of  his  reply  —  "Yes, 
sir,  you  knew  exactly  what  was  enough  when 
you  lay  under  the  wall  drunk  last  Saturday 
night !  You  have  known  just  how  much  is 
a  little,  for  twelve  months,  and  been  drunk 
all  of  twelve  times  !  " 

"You're  a  mean  temperance  meddler!"  ex- 
claimed Green,  in  a  passion,  drawing  back 
and  raising  his  arm  defiantly. 

Miles  stood  on  the  defensive,  without 
flinching. 

"A  fight!  a  fight!"  shouted  the  boys. 
"Give  'em  fair  play."  Green  was  much  the 
older,  but  Miles'  well  developed  muscles, 
large  and  strong  limbs,  showed  that  he  had 
at  least,  a  tolerable  chance,  if  the  dispute 
came  to  blows,  and  it  was  evident  it  would 
if  Green  struck  the  first  blow.  In  fact,  he 


276       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAKM. 

rather  desired  to  humble  the  advocate  of 
rum  by  a  sound  whipping.  It  was  plain  he 
had  left  the  praying  to  Patty,  and  had  as- 
sumed a  little  more  of  the  acting  than  was 
becoming  in  a  moral  reform. 

"Better  not  strike  an  Aldeu,"  said  a  voice 
in  the  crowd.  "Miles  will  lay  you  out 
stifier  than  a  poker." 

Green  thought  discretion  the  better  part 
of  valor,  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  amidst  the 
jeers  of  the  crowd.  His  influence  with  the 
boys  was  gone. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A   NEW   LIFE. 

GHEAT  success  crowned  the  efforts  of  Pat- 
ty's scholars,  so  that  she  was  more  than  ever 
esteemed  by  their  parents.  Mr.  Alden  called 
what  had  been  done  among  the  young,  "Pat- 
ty's work,"  for  she  devised  the  plan  of  oper- 
ation, and  directed  and  sustained  by  her 
wisdom  and  courage,  the  efforts.  It  became 
the  "town's  talk."  The  sober,  thoughtful 
people,  for  the  most  part  rejoiced.  The  Dr. 
Burt  party,  aided  by  the  liquor  sellers  and 
all  the  drunkards,  talked  loud,  and  with 
awful  solemnity.  "What  are  we  coming 
to?"  said  the  grocery  store  loafers.  "Wo- 
men and  the  boys  are  a-going  to  take  away 
our  rights." 

The    movement    among    the     children    had 

277 


278      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

nowhere  done  more  good  than  at  the  Corner. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crone  were  greatly  benefited 
by  Tom's  connection  with  it.  It  had  en- 
larged their  range  of  thought  with  regard 
to  their  boy.  They  had  valued  their  chil- 
dren by  the  measure  of  their  usefulness  in 
the  work  of  their  hands.  Having  never  felt 
to  any  great  extent  responsibility  for  the 
moral  good  of  others,  they  never  thought  of 
such  a  line  of  service  for  their  children. 
Tom's  labors  had  greatly  benefited  them  in 
this  respect.  They  were  conscious  of  a 
higher  and  broader  estimate  of  character. 
The  Spirit  whispered  through  this  incident, 
"Go  work  in  my  vineyard!" 

As  to  Tom,  it  was  a  marked  era  in  his 
life  —  the  most  important  he  had  ever  seen. 
He  labored  on  the  farm  with  more  heart,  for 
he  had  greater  self-respect.  He  felt  that  he 
was  already  somebody.  He  studied  easier 
and  with  more  pleasure,  for  he  had  a  nobler 

aim. 

***** 


A   NEW  LIFE.  279 

The  summer  was  now  ended.  The  farmers 
were  in  the  midst  of  their  harvest  work. 
The  pupils  of  Patty  recited  good  lessons,  up 
to  the  commencement  of  the  harvesting,  ex- 
cept during  a  vacation  in  the  warm  weeks 
of  dogdays.  They  now  gave  their  whole 
time  to  the  farms.  They  were  happy  in  the 
thought  that  no  summer  had  been  so  full  of 
pleasure  and  improvement.  They  were  in 
danger  indeed  of  being  too  full  of  self-confi- 
dence. Miles  especially,  put  on  some  "  airs." 
His  triumph  over  Green  obtained  him  many 
compliments.  While  his  conduct  towards 
Tom  was  full  of  his  characteristic  kindness, 
his  bearing  was  becoming  that  of  a  superior. 
Carver  was  less  vain  but  more  proud.  He 
did  not  talk  as  freely  of  himself  as  his 
brother  did,  nor  attempt  to  "show  off,"  but 
he  entertained  the  conviction  that  Carver 
Alden  of  Alden  Farm,  had  few  equals  and 
no  superiors.  He  thought  with  great  satis- 
faction of  the  future  day  when  he  should  be 


280       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

in  college,  and  show  the  wondering  students 
what  he  could  do  !  The  private  character  of 
the  boys'  school  encouraged  these  feelings. 
They  measured  themselves  by  themselves,  and 
were  not  wise.  They  needed,  for  a  correc- 
tion of  these  errors,  the  healthful  competi- 
tion of  a  large  school,  gathered  from  a  wide 
range  of  country,  some  of  whose  scholars 
might  take  the  vanity  and  pride  out  of 
them. 

The  harvesting  at  Alden's  and  at  the  Cor- 
ner was  never  more  abundant  for  the  labor 
bestowed;  and  it  is  certain  that  "harvest 
home,"  was  never  sung  more  joyfully.  Only 
one  cloud  —  that,  a  dark,  heavy  one  —  hung 
over  the  now  truly  Christian  home  of  Ezekiel 
Crone. 

The  feelings  of  Mr.  Alden,  over  whose 
family  joy  no  cloud  hung,  are  well  expressed 
in  the  following  incident.  The  product  of 
his  fields  had  all  been  gathered  into  his 
barns  and  granaries.  Thanksgiving  day,  with 


A  NEW   LITE.  281 

its  fullness  of  occasion  to  praise  the  God  of 
harvest,  had  passed.  He  had  given  of  his 
abundance  with  a  liberal  hand  to  the  poor. 
Still,  the  yearning  of  the  hearts  of  the  pa- 
rental heads  of  the  Alden  family  was  to  do 
more  for  the  Master. 

It  was  when  they  were  just  in  this  state 
of  feeling  that  their  pastor,  Mr.  Curtis,  and 
his  wife,  favored  them  with  an  evening's  visit. 
Two  topics  of  conversation  were  of  absorb- 
ing interest,  until  an  unusually  late  hour. 
One  was  joyous,  and  the  other  sad.  "The 
signs  of  the  outpourings  of  God's  spirit," 
said  Mr.  Curtis,  "were  never  so  encourag- 
ing. The  bow  of  promise  is  in  the  parting 
clouds.  The  temperance  reform  has  cleared 
the  moral  atmosphere  by  removing  in  a  great 
degree,  an  old,  scandalous  stumbling-block." 

"I  believe  you  are  right,"  replied  Mr.  Al- 
deu,  with  animation.  "The  young  people 
were  never  more  seriously  disposed.  Their 
attention  to  the  words  preached  was  never 


282  THE    LUCK    OF    ALDEN    FAliM. 

better ! "  He  closed  this  strain  of  remark 
by  saying,  solemnly,  "  Oh,  that  God  would 
add  to  His  great  mercies  to  my  family  this 
one :  the  conversion  of  my  children !  " 

It  was  arranged  between  the  pastor  and 
his  faithful  member,  to  secure  an  agreement 
on  the  part  of  all  the  earnest,  spiritual  mem- 
bers, to  meet  on  Thursday  afternoon  of  each 
week,  in  the  great  kitchen  of  the  parsonage, 
to  pray  for  this  one  thing,  —  the  gift  of 
larger  measures  of  the  Spirit.  Patience  and 
Mrs.  Curtis  entered  warmly  into  the  pro- 
posal. They  began  immediately  to  stir  up 
the  sisters  in  the  good  work. 

The  sad  topic  of  conversation  was  the  sick- 
ness of  Deacon  Prime,  of  which  Mr.  Alden 
had  not  heard.  He  had  been  repelled  from 
the  society  and  fellowship  of  this  aged  office 
bearer.  No  "misunderstanding"  had  ever  oc- 
curred, more  than  that  which  came  naturally 
out  of  great  difference  both  of  views  on  many 
religious  topics,  and  of  Christian  experience. 


A   NEW   LIFE.  283 

The  deacon's  godliness  had  been  one  of  un- 
doubted sincerity,  but  it  was  very  sour.  The 
law  with  him  was  more  than  the  gospel ;  he 
had  taken  it  not  as  "a  schoolmaster  to  bring 
him  to  Christ,"  but  as  the  bearer  of  a 
scourge  with  which  to  chastise  the  "old  man" 
into  the  image  and  nature  of  the  "new  man." 
But  Mr.  Alden  resolved  to  go  at  once  and 
tender  his  Christian  condolence  to  his  brother. 
But  when  calling  upon  the  devout  and  Christ- 
like  Deacon  Turner,  he  thought  best  to  delay 
his  visit.  The  pastor  and  the  younger  dea- 
con had  been  more  than  once,  and  found 
their  aged  brother  in  a  state  of  great  con- 
flict of  mind.  A  change,  they  thought,  was 
coming  over  him.  It  would  be  best  to  wait. 
We  will  visit  Deacon  Prime's  sick  room, 
and  he  shall  speak  for  himself.  The  dea- 
con's sickness  assumed,  from  the  first,  a  se- 
rious character.  He  was  impressed  that  his 
departure  was  near.  He  began  to  listen 
to  the  reading  of  the  Bible  with  a  deeper 


284      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

interest.  He  had  read  it  morning  and  even- 
ing for  many  years,  but  now  its  utterances 
seemed  clothed  with  fresh  authority. 

"I  have  been  a  great  sinner,"  said  the 
deacon,  sighing  deeply.  His  family  turned 
to  the  precious  promises,  especially  those 
which  fell  from  Christ's  own  lips.  His  bur- 
dened heart  saw  only  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
sinner.  There  was  no  comfort  in  the  view, 
but  increasing  distress.  Good  Deacon  Tur- 
ner came  in,  and  pressed  upon  his  attention, 
and  held  before  his  mind  the  atoning  blood. 
He  urged  as  the  sole  ground  of  the  sinner's 
acceptance,  "Repentance  towards  God,  and 
faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ," — a  doc- 
trine the  despairing  deacon  had  always  held 
and  pressed  upon  others.  "To  him  that  be- 
lieveth"  said  Deacon  Turner  fervently,  "Christ 
is  precious."  A  night  of  spiritual  darkness 
followed.  In  the  morning  the  deacon  was 
bolstered  up,  and  the  Word  of  God  was 
placed  before  him.  He  began  with  Christ's 


A   NEW  LIFE.  285 

discourse  to  his  disciples,  at  the  institution 
of  the  Supper.  He  was  struck  with  the  ten- 
derness of  the  address,  "Let  not  your  heart 
be  troubled,  neither  let  it  be  afraid.  Ye 
believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me."  He 
read  these  words  over  again.  He  took  off 
his  glasses,  wiped  them,  re-adjusted  them, 
and  read  them  again.  They  seemed  so  new 
he  could  hardly  persuade  himself  that  they 
were  the  same  words  which  he  had  often 
read  from  his  youth.  The  Holy  Spirit  won- 
derfully illuminated  them;  and  by  his  aid 
his  heart  took  hold  of  the  Redeemer  who 
spoke  them  for  every  sin-stained  but  broken 
and  contrite  heart.  He  was  no  longer  trou- 
bled. He  had  always  believed  in  God,  whom 
he  saw  as  "angry  with  the  sinner  every 
day ; "  he  now  believed  "  also "  in  him  "  by 
whose  stripes  we  are  healed."  His  counte- 
nance was  lighted  with  holy  joy,  as  he  lay 
breathing  a  low,  tender,  fervent  utterance  of 
praise.  His  family  felt  the  change,  and 


286       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

greatly  rejoiced.  His  brother  in  office  stood 
at  the  bedside  with  thankfulness  and  wonder. 
His  pastor  saw  in  the  change  another  evi- 
dence of  a  coming  gracious  visitation. 

"Now,"  said  Deacon  Prime,  "send  for 
Brother  Alden."  As  he  approached  his  beds 
he  threw  his  arms  about  his  neck,  and  wept 
freely.  "I  have  been  all  wrong,  Brother 
Alden.  We  have  held  to  the  same  God 
and  the  same  Saviour,  but  we  have  had  a 
different  experience.  I  have  wronged  you 
by  my  words  and  spirit.  I  will  not  ask 
your  forgiveness ;  I  read  it  already  in  your 
face.  I  know  by  your  long  cherished,  lov- 
ing spirit  that  I  have  it.  Oh,  that  I  could 
live  to  tell  all  of  the  precious  love  of  the 
Saviour  to  me." 

The  deacon  ceased,  folded  his  hands  across 
his  breast,  and  fell  asleep  in  Christ.  A 
heavenly  smile,  which  he  had  never  worn 
in  life,  settled  upon  his  face  in  death. 

A  fresh  inspiration  was  given  to  the  faith 


A  NEW   LIFE.  287 

of  the  praying  band,  -which  met  at  the  par- 
sonage on  Thursday  afternoon.  The  prayers 
at  many  family  altars  were  quickened ;  less 
formality  and  more  of  the  spirit  of  suppli- 
cation prevailed  generally  in  the  parish  of 
Mr.  Curtis.  "  Our  children !  May  they  be 
gathered  into  Christ's  fold ! "  was  the  devout 
exclamation  of  many  parents.  While  others, 
sincerely  distrusting  all  professed  conversions 
among  young  people,  turned  coldly  towards 
efforts  in  this  direction.  The  earnest  pastor 
was  not  one  of  these ;  his  prayers  were  never 
more  fervent  than  when  his  only  child,  Jane, 
was  remembered  before  God. 

John  and  Patience  Alden  had  long  ago 
discussed,  in  their  earnest,  thoughtful,  iude- 
pendent  and  prayerful  manner,  the  question 
of  early  conversions.  It  was  when  their 
first  born  was  yet  a  child,  that  the  following 
talk  about  this  matter  occurred. 

"Patience,"  said  John,  who  had  just  re- 
turned from  Carver's  sleeping-room,  where  he 


288       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

had  tucked  him  up  snugly  iu  his  little  trun- 
dle bed,  "Patience,  at  what  age  may  we 
rightly  expect  the  conversion  of  our  boy?" 

"Just  as  soon  as  he  may  be  held  re- 
sponsible for  what  he  does,"  replied  Patience, 
decidedly. 

"It's  a  great  thing  to  be  a  Christian,"  sug- 
gested John. 

"Certainly,"   said   Patience. 

"Conversion  is  a  great  work,  and  children 
may  easily  be  deceived  in  such  great  mat- 
ters," further  suggested  Mr.  Aldeu,  who  was 
evidently  at  his  well  practiced  device,  of 
bringing  up  objections  to  call  -out  the  thoughts 
of  his  wife. 

"Now,  John,"  said  Patience,  with  an  ear- 
nestness which  startled  her  husband,  "I  be- 
lieve that  a  child,  at  his  first  responsible 
moments,  will  more  easily  and  more  clearly 
see  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  and  believe  on  Him 
unto  salvation,  more  readily,  if  properly  in- 
structed, than  at  any  later  time ! " 


A   NEW  LIFE.  289 

K  Why,  Patience  ! "  exclaimed  her  husband, 
really  surprised  at  this  bold  assertion. 

"Don't  the  Spirit  strive  more  earnestly  for 
the  child  than  for  the  older  person  who  has 
grieved  Him  often?"  said  Patience,  with  in- 
creasing warmth. 

"Does   He?"   inquired   Mr.   Alden. 

"Does  a  father,"  said  Patience,  "ask  the 
acceptance  by  a  child  of  a  favor,  more  freely 
after  it  has  been  often  refused?" 

"But  we  have  been  taught  not  to  encour- 
age children  to  expect  renewing  grace,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Alden,  hesitatingly. 

"But  Christ  has  said,  < Suffer  little  chil- 
dren to  come  unto  me,'"  answered  Patience, 
in  a  sad  tone.  She  was  thinking  of  her  own 
little  faith  in  a  truth  she  had  so  earnestly- 
advocated. 

Her  husband,  having  obtained  what  he 
sought,  his  wife's  clear  statements,  added  to 
her  arguments  others  in  the  same  direction, 
and  shortly  after,  at  the  family  altar,  thanked 

19 


290      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

God  for  the  promise  that  for  the  little  chil- 
dren even,  was  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Years  had  passed  since  this  incident,  but 
now,  when  the  desire  for  their  children's 
conversion  was  burdening  them,  they  were 
greatly  humbled  that  their  prayers,  labors 
and  faith  had  been  so  little  in  accordance 
with  their  expressed  belief.  The  family 
altar  at  Alden  Farm  never  breathed  more 
fervent  prayers  than  were  now  ascending 
from  it.  The  place  of  secret  prayer  wit- 
nessed confessions,  penitential  tears  and  be- 
lieving supplications. 

"Carve,"  said  the  unsuspecting  Miles,  "how 
good  to  us  everybody  seems ! " 

"  What ! "  said  Carver,  looking  up  from  his 
I  book. 

"How  kind  everybody  is ! "  repeated  Miles. 
"  How  father  does  pray,  too  ! " 

"Hasn't  he  always  prayed,"  said  Carver, 
affecting  an  indifference  to  the  subject  he 
did  not  feel.  Both  boys  commenced  study- 


A    NEW   LIFE.  291 

ing  again.  They  were  alone  in  their  pa- 
rents' sleeping-room,  where  a  fire  was  occa- 
sionally made  for  them  when  callers  were 
expected  in  the  kitchen.  But  their  minds 
were  not  absorbed  in  their  books  as  usual. 
Soon  Miles  commenced  again  on  the  subject 
which  was  burdening  his  heart,  but  of  which 
he  had  not  courage  to  speak  directly.  "How 
very  kind  Patty  is ! "  he  said,  as  if  talking 
to  himself. 

"Why,  hasn't  she  always,  been  kind?"  said 
Carver. 

"I  mean,  how  loving  she  is,"  answered 
Miles. 

Carver  smiled,  and  said,  "Well,  I  think 
she  has  always  been  loving." 

Miles  blushed,  but  said,  resolutely,  "I 
think,  Carver,  that  father  and  mother,  and 
our  teacher  want  us  to  be  Christians,  right 
off!  I  see  it  in  their  faces  all  the  time. 
They  pray  too,  that  we  may,  I  know  they 
do.  Yesterday  at  the  recitation,  while  you 


292      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

were  looking  out  a  word  in  the   Latin   Die- 

O 

tionary,  Patty  rested  her  elbow  on  the  table 
and  put  her  face  in  her  hand.  She  was 
praying  for  you,  I  know  she  was,  for  she 
looked  at  you  so  tenderly  when  you  began 
to  translate,  and  I  saw  her  wipe  a  tear  from 
one  corner  of  her  eye !  But  I  wonder  she 
never  talks  to  us  about  being  Christians.  I 
wish  she  would  say  something  about  Jesus." 

Carver  made  no  bluff  reply  to  this.  He 
said  nothing,  but  his  brother  saw  that  he  was 
affected,  and  he  followed  up  his  advantage, 
in  the  frank  expression  of  a  full  soul.  "  Car- 
ver," he  said,  with  a  -choked  utterance,  "I 
mean  to  try  to  give  my  heart  to  God." 

Both  boys  bowed  their  heads  upon  their 
study  table  in  silence.  Carver  had  really  felt 
the  drawings  of  God's  Spirit  longer  and  more 
deeply  than  his  brother.  But  his  will  was 
less  yielding,  and  his  proud  heart  warred 
against  the  Love  which  was  drawing  him  to 
the  narrow  path  of  peace  and  safety.  The 


A   NEW   LIFE.  293 

contention  in  the  heart  of  Miles  was  sharper 
and  sooner  ended.  He  wept  freely,  and 
finally  retired  to  his  own  room  to  weep  and 
pray  alone. 

While  Jesus  was  thus  meeting  with  Patty's 
students,  and  preparing  their  hearts  for  the 
message  from  Him  which  might  be  sent,  he 
spake  by  His  Spirit  to  her  that  night.  In 
her  oft  repeated  prayer  for  her  pupils,  she 
had  prayed  for  wisdom  in  winning  them  to 
Christ.  Suddenly  she  now  cried  out,  "Jesus, 
forgive  me;  that  I  have  not  borne  to  them 
the  message  of  thy  love  more  faithfully.  I 
will,  by  thy  help,  when  next  I  see  them." 

The  recitations  were  ended  on  the  follow- 
ing Friday,  when  Patty,  with  a  fluttering 
heart,  said,  "My  young  friends,  would  you 
like  to  tarry  a  short  time,  that  we  may  talk 
about  the  Saviour?  I  want  you  to  give  Him 
your  hearts." 

Thomas  Crone  looked  into  the  faces  of  his 
Alden  friends.  He  was  glad  to  read  there 


294        THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

a  cordial  response  to  the  teacher's  request. 
The  words  which  the  faithful  teacher  uttered 
dropped  like  seed  into  good  ground.  The 
Great  Sower  had  been  there  before  her,  pre- 
paring the  ground,  by  the  fertilizing  warmth  of 
His  Spirit,  and  by  the  hammer  of  His  Word 
breaking  its  stony  hardness.  At  the  close  of  the 
interview,  all  kneeled  in  brokenness  of  heart, 
while  the  teacher  asked  for  a  genuine  penitence 
and  faith. 

Very  little  studying  was  done  for  several 
days.  "Carver  and  Miles  told  atl  their  feel- 
ings, without  embarrassment,  to  their  mother. 
In  her  simple  Christian  discipline  she  had  pos- 
sessed so  much  of  the  Christ  Spirit,  that  no 
barrier  was  raised  between  her  and  their 
fullest  confidence.  Even  the  rougher  nature 
of  their  father  was  childlike  simplicity  here, 
and  both  parents  and  children,  as  one  family 
in  Christ,  talked,  sang,  and  prayed  together 
daily.  Patience  pointed  out  to  them  such 
passages  of  Scripture  as  she  deemed  specially 


A   NEW   LIFE.  295 

adapted  to  their  case.  She  warned  them  of 
errors  which,  as  she  had  learned  by  expe- 
rience, beset  the  seeker's  path.  Under  such 
guidance  and  prayers,  gradually  the  peace  of 
the  believer  entered  their  hearts. 

About  three  weeks  after  these  incidents, 
both  Carver  and  Miles  were  again  in  their 
parents'  chamber,  before  a  blazing  fire,  about 
to  commence  an  evening's  study.  Both,  with- 
out concert,  had  stolen  away  into  their  own 
chamber,  for  a  few  moments  of  secret  prayer 
before  commencing.  As  they  were  seated  at 
their  study  table,  with  books  opened  before 
them,  Carver  looked  up  and  said,  seriously, 
"Miles,  we  know  now  what  Patty  meant 

» 

when  she  talked  to  us  about  Luther's  motto, 
don't  we?" 

"Yes,"  said  Miles,  smiling,  "I  think  I 
shan't  now  want  to  leave  the  praying  before 
study,  to  Patty." 

Lonely  Thomas  Crone  groped  more  in  the 
dark,  and  through  a  longer  path,  to  find  the 


296      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Light  of  Life.  His  instruction  in  religious 
things  had  been  very  limited.  He  had  never 
felt  any  freedom  in  talking  with  his  parents 
about  holy  things ;  and  even  now,  when  both 
were  very  glad  to  see  his  seriousness,  and 
evident  desire  to  love  the  Saviour,  they  did 
not  know  what  to  say  to  him.  They  saw 
and  felt  this,  and  were  greatly  humbled. 
"Ezekiel,"  said  Mrs.  Crone,  as  she  looked 
into  Tom's  beseeching  countenance,  "Ezekiel, 
we  ought  to  be  teachers  in  divine  things, 
but  we  are  only  babes.  God  forgive  us, 
and  make  our  boy  a  Christian,  and  a  better 
one,  too,  than  we  have  been." 

But  Tom  found  in  his  teacher  and  school- 
mates, willing  helpers,  and  he  too,  was  soon 
happy  in  the  peace  which  passes  understand- 
ing, and  the  joy  which  is  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

BURDENED   HEAETS. 

THE  awakening  had  reached  the  home  of 
Joel  Organ,  the  father  of  Fred.  As  we 
have  stated,  they  lived  on  a  by-road  several 
miles  from  town.  Mr.  Organ's  wife,  Mary, 
never  possessed  of  an  amiable  disposition, 
had  been  more  than  ever  ill-tempered  since 
the  mysterious  disappearance  of  Zeke  Crone. 
She  manifested  strange  emotions  when  the 
continued  mourning  of  his  parents  for  him 
was  mentioned  by  a  caller.  She  would  at 
once  break  out  into  a  noisy  talk  about  it. 
"Why,"  she  exclaimed,  "should  Jerusha 
Crone,  or  her  old.  man,  care  for  Zeke's  loss?. 
He  can't  be  worse  off  than  he  was  at  home. 
They  drove  him  out  doors,  and  so  who's  to 

297 


298      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

blame !  They  needn't  tell  me  that  they  do 
care  anything  about  it !  I  know  'em !  For 
my  part,  I  think  they  may  thank  anybody 
who  has  given  Zeke  a  shelter." 

This  heat  was  exciting  attention  and  caus- 
ing remarks.  Mrs.  Organ  saw  this,  and 
shut  herself  up  in  her  obscure  home  more 
than  ever.  Fred  was  removed  from  school 
soon  after  his  mean  conduct  towards  Thomas 
Crone.  He  had  been  allowed  to  go  to  town 
but  little,  and  even  Mr.  Organ's  visits  were 
jealously  restrained  by  his  wife.  Thus  shut 
out  from  society,  they  were  little  likely  to 
be  partakers  of  the  religious  interest  of  the 
town.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  can  not  be  shut 
out  from  the  by-ways  of  sin  when  he  is 
moved  towards  them  by  earnest,  believing 
prayer.  We  will  note  how  it  was. 

Patty  'Vose  rejoiced  with  a  cautious,  deep 
interest,  in  the  evidence  of  a  saving  change 
in  her  pupils.  It  was  not  with  her  as  with 
many  Christians  when  dear  friends  are  con- 


BURDENED  HEARTS.  299 

verted.  Her  solicitude  did  not  cease  with 
their  conversion.  She  knew  that  their  Chris- 
tian life  was  but  just  begun ;  that  there  were 
conflicts  through  which  they  must  pass,  and 
work  for  them  to  do ;  that  they  needed  to 
be  built  tip  in  the  faith*  of  Jesus,  and  to 
grow  in  grace ;  and  that  they  needed  for 
all  this  the  counsel  of  experience,  and  the 
guidance  of  older  Christians.  So  they  had 
been  her  pupils,  not  only  in  Greek  and 
Latin,  but  in  the  more  important  things  of 
holy  living.  "The  luck  of  Alden  Farm" 
was  never  more  apparent  than  in  the  relig- 
ious growth  of  its  boys,  so  Patty's  work  in 
reference  to  them,  was  the  comparatively 
easy  one  of  co-operation.  But  for  Thomas 
Crone  her  labor  was  more  responsible  and 

difficult.     His  parents  did  little  for  his  Chris- 

» 

tian  culture.  How  could  they  impart  that 
of  which  they  had  obtained  so  little  !  They 
felt  their  lack  keenly.  "John  Aldeu's  boys 
will  be  sure  to  hold  out,"  said  Mrs.  Croue. 


300      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"  Everything  he  and  Patience  undertake  comes 
out  right.  They've  been  always  lucky.  Our 
boy  has  got  to  stumble  along,  I  suppose, 
just  as  his  parents  have.  I  do  want  him, 
though,  to  live  a  sight  better ! "  Jerusha 
Crone's  tears,  at  this  time,  flowed  easily. 
She  did  feel  her  own,  and  her  husband's 
deficiency  in  force  of  Christian  character, 
but  she  had  not  quite  overcome  her  foolish 
application  of  the  term  "  luck "  to  what  su- 
perior character  accomplished.  It  was  still 
in  a  measure  a  blind  to  a  full  view  of  her 
Christian  obligations.  So,  in  God's  kind 
providence,  Patty  and  the  Alden  boys,  sup- 
ported by  their  parents,  came  in  to  supply 
to  Tom  the  parental  deficiency. 

The  winter  school  was  again  in  operation. 

Mr.    Everett  had    consented    to    become    its 

« 

teacher  again,  though  offered  better  paying 
fields  of  labor.  He  was  drawn  to  his  former 
pupils  by  a  strong  friendship,  increased  by 
'the  religious  interest  among  them.  Patty's 


BURDENED   HEARTS.  301 

pupils  were  transferred  to  him,  the  Alden 
boys  reciting  their  Latin  and  Greek  private- 
ly, twice  a  week.  He  bore  a  generous  tes- 
timony to  the  accuracy  of  their  late  teacher's 
instruction,  as  well  as  to  the  marked  prog- 
ress of  the  boys  during  the  summer.  But 
Patty  retained  her  watchful  care  over  the 
religious  growth  of  the  boys,  especially  of 
Tom. 

There  was  quite  an  unpleasant  feeling  in 
the  family  of  Joel  Organ  during  the  week 
before  the  commencement  of  the  school. 
"Mary,"  said  Joel  to  his  wife,  "I  am  deter- 
mined that  Fred  shall  go  to  school  this 
winter,  in  spite  of  your  nervous  fear  that 
our  secret  will  get  out." 

"  Fear  !  "  retorted  Mary,  sharply.  "  You 
needn't  accuse  me  of  being  afraid  of  the 
Crones,  nor  anybody  who  pretends  to  be 
their  friend.  But  it's  for  the  boy's  good  that 
I  would  have  our  secret  kept." 

"  The  boy's  good ! "  replied  Mr.  Organ, 
sneeringly. 


302       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

This  remark  wounded  Mrs.  Organ,  and  she 
replied,  smartly,  "  You  men  folks  do  so  ache 
to  tell  all  you  know ! " 

Joel  left  the  house  in  anger,  slammiug  the 
door  as  he  retired.  He  found  Fred  in  the 
barn,  whom  he  addressed  in  a  tone  in  no- 
wise fitted  to  soothe  his  perplexed  and  bur- 
dened feelings.  "Fred!"  said  the  father. 

"What  sir?"  answered  Fred,  startled  by 
the  excited  voice  and  manner  of  his  father. 

"  Fred  !  "  repeated  Joel,  "  do  you  go  to 
school  on  Monday.  And  if  you  tell  any 
person  our  secret,  I'll  skin  you ! " 

Fred  began  to  cry.  "All  the  boys,"  he 
sobbed,  "will  be  teasing  me,  and  I  don't 
want  to  go  to  school ! " 

"Well,"  replied  his  father,  in  a  softened 
tone,  "you  can  keep  your  mouth  shut  about 
it,  can't  you?" 

"  Don't  know,  sir,"  replied  Fred. 

"  If  you  do  tell ! "  said  his  father,  again 
roused  to  fury,  as  he  shook  his  fist  in  the 
face  of  his  boy. 


BURDENED   HEAETS.  303 

When  Mr.  Organ  told  his  wife  that  he 
had  "  decided "  that  Fred  should  attend 
school,  there  was  another  scene*,  which  ended 
in  a  violent  fit  of  crying  by  Mrs.  Organ. 
Her  husband  soothed  her  feelings  in  his  way, 
by  reminding  her  that  she  "didn't  care  who 
knew  the  secret.  Not  she  !  It  was  nothing 
she  was  ashamed  of ! " 

Fred  did  attend  the  school  on  Monday. 
His  bearing  was  that  of  the  Crone  boys  a 
year  before,  but  not  that  of  Thomas  Crone 
now.  When  the  first  week  closed,  and  Sat- 
urday night  closed,  Fred  and  his  parents 
were  sitting  by  the  kitchen  fire.  But  little 
had  been  said  during  the  week  of  the  "teas- 
ing" of  the  boys.  He  had  grown  more 
cheerful  after  each  day's  attendance  at  school, 
and  now  his  good  spirits  appeared  in  his 
face.  He  has  rid  himself  of  our  vexatious 
secret,  thought  his  father,  and  feels  better  for 
it;  and  I  don't  care  if  he  has,  for  it  must 
come  out  some  time.  His  wife  did  not  dare 


304      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

to  ask  Fred,  for  she  dreaded  the  conse- 
quences to  him  and  herself  of  any  course  he 
might  take.  At  length  Fred  broke  the  pain- 
ful silence.  "Mother!"  he  exclaimed,  "all 
the  boys  at  school  are  real  kind.  They  are 
as  good  again  as  they  were  last  winter ! "  j 

"And  coaxed  out  of  you  all  you  know, 
I'll  warrant ! "  said  his  mother,  waiting  with 
an  anxious  face  for  his  reply. 

"No,  they  have  never  teased  nor  coaxed 
me  about  our  secret,"  said  Fred,  cheerfully. 
"I  guess  they  have  forgotten  all  about  that." 
A  pause  followed,  which  Fred  broke  by  say- 
ing, in  a  low,  thoughtful  tone,  "I  don't  know 
though  as  they  have."  He  was  thinking  of 
Thomas  Crone's  care-worn  look,  although  he 
did  seem  so  much  smarter,  and  better  be- 
haved than  he  did  a  year,  before. 

Fred  continued  to  report  the  kind  bearing 
of  all  the  school,  and  the  especial  attentiou 
of  the  Alden  boys,  and  the  "real  good  sort 
of  way"  of  "Tom  Crone."  "Why,  mother," 


BURDENED   HEARTS.  305 

said  Fred,  ''Torn  is  getting  real  smart,  and 
he  seems  to  love  me  better  than  he  loves 
any  of  the  boys  !  " 

"Coaxing  round  you?"  said  his  mother,  in- 
quiringly. 

"I'd  like  to  know  what  reason  Tom's  got 
to  coax  round  our  Fred!"  interposed  Mr. 
Organ." 

This  remark  shut  off  further  talk.  But  an 
impression  had  been  made  upon  the  parents 
of  which  they  were  not  yet  ready  to  speak. 
Indeed,  they  did  not  know  what  either  to 
think  or  say  of  the  changed  spirit  at  school. 
But  it  led  them .  to  venture  to  go  to  town 
to  church,  which  they  had  not  done  for  many 
months.  The  result  was  a  greater  perplexity 
than  ever.  Every  one  was  kind  and  atten- 
tive. Even  the  Crones,  Ezekiel  and  his  wife, 
approached  them  with  a  cordiality  which  they 
could  not,  or  rather,  as  it  was  in  the  pres- 
ence of  others,  dared  not  repel.  They  went 
home,  pondering  upon  the  altered  spirit  of 

20 


306       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

the  people  of  the  town.  Their  visits  at  the 
church  became  constant,  when  the  winter 
storms  did  not  prevent.  While  this  feeling 
of  interest  is  growing  in  the  Organ  family, 
we  will  note  more  fully  the  cause  which  so 
puzzled  them. 

"Thomas,"  said  Patty,  as  he  was  about 
to  commence,  study  in  the  winter  school, 
"you  must  work  for  the  Saviour  this  win- 
ter." Thomas  hung  his  head  despondingly. 
Patty  had  often,  in  general  terms,  spoken 
to  her  young  friends  to  learn  early  an  active 
piety,  but  she  had  never  put  the.  duty  home 
so  directly  to  him. 

"What  can  I  do?"   was  the  timid  reply. 

"If  any  boy  has  ever  injured  you,  watch 
for  an  opportunity  to  do  him  a  favor;  that 
will  be  one  way  to  begin  to  do  something 
to  show  your  love  for  Christ,"  replied  Patty, 
with  animation. 

Thomas  was  much  impressed  with  this  re- 
mark. When  he  was  sitting  by  the  great 


BURDENED   HEARTS.  307 

fire-place  of  the  kitchen  that  evening,  around 
which  the  whole  family  were  gathered,  and 
felt  the  change  —  the  pleasant  change  which 
had  come  over  the  spirit  of  his  home,  the 
remark  of  Patty  came  to  him  with  new  force. 
["There's  Fred,"  he  mused.  "If  anybody  has 
injured  me  it  is  he.  Wonder  if  he  will  be 
at  school  this  winter?"  So  when  these  two 
boys  met,  a  surprise  of  which  we  know 
something  was  prepared  for  Fred.  Thomas 
Crone,  owing  to  his  summer  study,  was  now 
among  Mr.  Everett's  best  scholars.  The  re- 
proach of  Crone's  Corner  was  fading  out. 
Energy,  industry,  and  good  character  were 
slowly  but  surely  bringing  "good  luck." 
So  Fred  was  glad  to  receive  Tom's  special 
attentions,  and  occasional  aid  in  his  studies. 
At  Alden  Farm  bolder  efforts  were  planned 
to  win  the  Organs  into  the  pleasant,  though 
narrow  paths  of  true  wisdom.  While  the 
boys  were  throwing  the  silken  cords  of  a 
Christian  love  around  Fred,  their  parents 


308       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

were  praying  for  and  watching  a  favoring 
opportunity  to  speak  to  Joel  and  Mary  Or- 
gan. The  increasing  interest  of  the  Organs 
in  the  service  of  the  house  of  worship  en- 
couraged these  efforts. 

"Patience,"  said  John  Alden,  on  Sabbath 
evening,  after  a  most  joyous  day  in  the 
courts  of  the  Lord;  "Patience,  we  must  go 
and  make  Joel  and  Mary  Organ  a  call.  I 
seem  drawn  towards  them." 

"They  seem  much  drawn  towards  the  peo- 
ple of  God  and  His  house,"  remarked  Pa- 
tience. 

Carver,  who  had  heard  this  remark,  whis- 
pered to  Miles,  "Miles,  I  wish  we  could  go 
to  Fred  Organ's.  I  guess  he  would  be  glad 
to  see  us." 

"  He  is  a  different  boy  from  what  he  was 
last  winter,"  sdid  Miles. 

But  John  and  Patience  chose  to  make  the 
call  first  alone,  which  they  did,  arriving  early 
on  a  clear,  moonlight  evening.  The  level 


BURDENED   HEARTS.  309 

snow  had  made  fine  sleighing.  The  shrub- 
bery along  the  road  sparkled  with  pearly 
icicles,  and  the  clear,  cold  air  echoed  to 
the  merry  bells.  Even  John  Alden's  horse 
seemed  inspired  by  the  errand  of  Christian 
love  of  those  he  bore,  for,  though  he  had 
seen  fifteen  winters,  Patience  declared  that 
he  "  skipped  over  the  road  like  a  colt." 

The  visitors  were  received  cordially.  Ear- 
lier in  the  winter,  Mary  Organ's  face  would 
have  been  flushed  with  suspicion  and  ill-will 
towards  such  callers.  But  she  had  been 
disarmed,  as  much  through  the  treatment  of 
Fred  as  by  courtesies  to  herself.  No  allu- 
sion was  made  to  the  Crones,  and  the  heart 
of  Mrs.  Organ  was  open  to  the  influence  of 
faithful  Christian  labor  to  win  her  to  Christ. 
Her  husband  was  even  more  within  such  an 
influence.  As  to  Fred,  though  addressed  by 
a  few  words  only,  the  words  and  spirit  of 
the  visitors  fell  upon  his  heart  as  light  and 
heat  upon  the  opening  flower.  So  swiftly 


310      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

did  the  moments  fly,  that  even  the  Aldens 
were  beguiled  into  a  later  hour  than  usual. 
Nor  was  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion  aided 
by  even  an  offer  of  wine  from  the  sideboard, 
nor  cider  from  the  cellar.  Joel  had  plenty 
of  both,  and  to  most  other  callers  they  would 
have  been  tendered  as  a  necessary  politeness. 
But  John  Alden's  emphatic  "JVbt  sir,"  was 
known  as  far  as  his  face  or  name  was  rec- 
ognized. When  prayer  was  offered  by  Mr. 
Alden,  it  melted  all  hearts  by  its  tender, 
earnest  simplicity  and  directness.  He  means 
me  by  every  word  of  his  prayer,  thought 
Mrs.  Organ.  He  asks  a  blessing  for  you, 
whispered  the  Spirit  in  the  heart  of  Mr. 
Organ.  Fred  wiped  his  eyes  when  the 
prayer  closed,  and  was  truly  thankful  that 
the  whole  of  it  had  been  for  him. 

When  the  visitors  had  gone,  the  Organ 
family  sat  for  some  moments  around  their 
blazing  fire  in  silence.  Though  no  angels 
unawares  had  been  entertained,  but  only  the' 


BUKDENED   HEARTS.  311 

renewed  of  the  earthly  church,  a  heavenly 
influence  seemed  to  linger  about  the  room. 

"Mary,"  said  Mr.  Organ,  breaking  the 
silence,  "have  we  any  better  friends  than 
John  and  Patience?" 

"None,"   answered   his   wife. 

Another  pause  followed,  which  Fred  inter- 
rupted, by  saying,  timidly,  "I  haven't  any 
better  friends  than  Carver,  Miles,  and  — " 

He  hesitated  to  add  the  name  he  intended, 
and  looked  into  his  mother's  face  for  per- 
mission. 

"And  who,  Fred?"  said  his  mother,  in  a 
tone  which  intimated  her  willingness  to  hear 
even  the  hated  name. 

"And  Tom  Crone,"  said  Fred,  with  a 
choked  utterance. 

Silence  again  reigned,  but  no  look  evi- 
denced displeasure  at  the  declaration. 

"And  we  are  concealing  in  our  own  bur- 
dened hearts  a  fact  which  would  rejoice  the 
heart  of  each  of  them,"  said  Mr.  Organ, 


312      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

feelingly.  Mrs.  Organ  buried  her  face  iu 
her  hands  and  began  a  subdued  sobbing, 
which  she  tried  in  vain  to  suppress.  There 
was  a  severe  conflict  going  on  in  her  mind 
between  a  newly  awakened  sense  of  duty, 
and  a  long  cherished  pride  and  resentment. 
She  began  to  see  that  to  have  peace  within, 
to  which  she  had  long  been  a  stranger,  she 
must  humble  herself  before  both  God  and 
man.  Her  husband  had  less  pride  and  re- 
gard for  what  others  might  think  or  say  in 
reference  to  a  line  of  conduct  which  for 
about  a  year  had  been  a  secret  in  the  family, 
but  he  had  a  strong  will,  perversely  set  in 
the  wrong  direction.  "I  won't,"  struggled 
violently  in  his  breast,  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
inspired  duty  of  saying, — 

"  Nay,  but  I  yield,  I  yield, 

I  can  hold  out  no  more ; 
I  sink,  by  dying  love  compelled, 
And  own  Christ  conqueror." 

Fred   looked   into   the   face   of  one   parent 


BURDENED  HEAETS.  313 

and  then  of  the  other.  He  perceived,  with 
joy,  in  their  flushed  expression,  not  the  old 
anger,  but  an  anxious  concern.  He  knew, 
too,  what  it  meant.  He  had  himself  felt  it 
deeply  and  bitterly.  But  his  contact  with 
better  spirits  at  school,  and  his  more  sus- 
ceptible, youthful  feeling,  had  caused  already 
the  yielding.  He  longed  for  the  permission 
of  his  parents  to  tell  the  Crones  and  his 
Alden  friends  all  he  knew  concerning  the 
missing  boy,  and  to  confess  his  own  part  in 
the  guilty  transaction.  He  felt  that  it  would 
be  a  luxury  of  joy  to  do  so.  It  seemed  to 
him  the  only  bar  to  the  peace  which  had  for 
so  many  months  been  to  him  unknown.  So 
Fred  watched  the  increasing  change  in  his 
parents  with  tearful  interest.  His  mother, 
seeing  his  watchful  eye  ever  upon  her,  said, 
with  a  harshness  which  only  increased  her 
own  burden,  "Fred,  it's  bed-time!  Don't 
sit  there  staring  at  me  ! " 

The     boy     retired     immediately,     but    not 


314       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

to  sleep.  His  pillow  was  wet  with  his 
tears. 

Mr.  Organ  walked  the  floor  in  silence  for 
a  while,  his  wife,  at  the  same  time,  crying 
with  great  violence.  Mr.  Organ,  growing 
impatient  with  his  wife's  tears  and  sobs,  said, 
rather  sharply,  "Mary,  what's  the  use  of  all 
this  ado !  If  we  must  tell  what  we  have 
done,  let  us  do  it  and  be  done  with  it ! " 

"Joel,  I  wish  you'd  go  to  bed  and  let  me 
alone  ! "  replied  his  wife,  looking  up  through 
her  tears  and  disheveled  hair,  the  victim 
still  of  a  hateful  passion,  that  the  reproving 
Spirit  would  displace  for  one  of  penitence, 
confession,  love,  and  the  peace  that  passes 
understanding. 

Joel  retired  to  his  chamber,  where  the 
struggle  in  his  breast  went  on  for  some 
time,  when  he  fell  asleep.  With  Mrs.  Or- 
gan there  was  no  sleep.  Her  bitterness 
towards  her  family  had  aggravated  her  sor- 
row, and  for  hours  the  storm  within  raged 


BURDENED   HEARTS.  315 

furiously.  "O  my  God,  can  such  a  wretch 
be  forgiven!"  she  at  last  exclaimed,  aloud. 
The  stillness  of  the  midnight  hour  gave 
impressiveness  to  the  utterance.  She  became 
more  calm,  and  prayed  more  deliberately, 
"  Blessed  Saviour,  pardon  my  sin  I  It's 
dreadful  black !  Forgive !  Oh,  do  forgive 
me ! "  The  calm  increased.  She  took  the 
Word  of  God,  dusty  and  long  neglected, 
and  sat  down  at  the  stand  and  spread  it 
out  before  her.  She  opened  it  at  the  narra- 
tive of  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus.  She  read, 
with  an  interest  she  had  never  before  felt, 
the  moving  story.  When  she  read,  "  Father, 
forgive  them  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do,"  she  laid  her  forehead  upon  the  open 
page  and  wept  anew.  Her  tears  were  not 
now  rebellious  and  bitter,  but  penitent  and 
tender.  The  duty  of  confession  did  not  seem 
so  difficult  as  it  had  done  a  few  hours  before. 
The  willingness  to  do  so,  as  it  came  stealing 
in  upon  her  heart,  lifted  in  a  measure  her 


316      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

burden.  She  fell  upon  her  knees  and  began 
her  confession  to  him  whom  she  had  most 
offended  —  Jesus,  the  Lord  and  Saviour. 

When  Joel  Organ  came  down  from  his 
sleeping-room,  a  little  earlier  than  common, 
the  breakfast  was  ready  to  go  on  the  table. 
The  kitchen  glowed  with  a  cheerful  warmth, 
and  a  serious  but  pleasant  glow  rested  upon 
the  face  of  his  Mary.  "Joel,"  she  said,  with 
a  soft,  firm  voice,  "I  have  made  up  my  mind 
what  to  do." 

"  So  have  I,"  said  Joel,  biting  his  lips  to 
keep  from  breaking  down  into  a  cry  as  vio- 
lent as  that  in  which  his  wife  indulged  the 
night  before. 

"I  mean,"  continued  Mrs.  Organ,  "to  go 
this  very  night  and  tell  John  and  Patience  — 
all  about  it!" 

"That  is  what  I  want  to  do,"  said  her 
husband.  "It  will  be  easier  to  confess  to 
Ezekiel  and  Jerusha,  after  that." 

A   slight    shadow    passed    over    his    wife's 


BURDENED   HEARTS.  317 

face  at  the  allusion  to  the  severest  test  of 
her  penitence.  But  it  was  momentary.  With 
recovered  self-possession,  she  said,  firmly, 
"Yes,  I  know  John  will  go  with  us,  and 
encourage  us  in  the  duty." 


CHAPTER  XVIH. 

THE   COMFORTER. 

THE  family  at  Alden  Farm  were  not  sur- 
prised at  seeing  the  sleigh  of  Joel  Organ 
drive  into  their  yard.  The  penetrating  eyes 
of  John  and  Patience,  saw  that  a  burden 
was  resting  upon  their  friends'  hearts  too 
heavy  to  be  long  borne.  They  suspected 
too,  the  cause  of  that  burden.  But  they 
wisely  left  them  to  the  strivings  of  Him 
whose  office-work  it  is  to  awaken  and  renew. 
Fervent  and  constant  prayer  was  being  of- 
fered by  many  for  them.  Ezekiel  Crone  and 
his  wife  were  greatly  encouraged  concerning 
their  conversion  when  they  saw  their  re- 
newed attention  to  the  preached  Word ;  and 
when  they  heard  of  John's  and  Patience's 

818 


THE   COMFORTER.  319 

visit,  they  became  exceeding  joyful.  Mrs. 
Crone's  customary  expression  was  immedi- 
ately upon  her  lips.  "Ezekiel!"  she  ex- 
claimed, "John  and  Patience  have  got  hold 
of  our  Joel  and  Mary.  He's  bound  to  have 
good  luck  with  them.  He  always  does,  you 
know.  If  you  and  I  had  gone  to  their 
house,  the  old  mad  would  have  shown  itself 
in  them  right  off.  But  now  something  will 
be  done."  Mrs.  Crone  dropped  her  voice 
into  a  low,  tremulous  tone,  as  she  added, 
"Maybe  John  will  get  them  to  tell  if  they 
know  anything  about  our  Zeke.  I  am  sure 
if  they  really  mean  to  be  Christians,  they'll 
confess  all." 

"That  they  will,"  replied  Mr.  Crone,  wip- 
ing the  tear  from  his  face ;  "  and  if  they  can 
bring  Zeke  back  to  us  again,  we'll  all  con- 
fess." 

Mrs.  Crone's  heart  responded  to  this  last 
remark.  So  the  line  of  duty  which  had  been 
undertaken  by  the  Aldens,  in  their  evening's 


320       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

ride,  was  likely  to  be  attended  by  rich 
fruit. 

Scarcely  were  Joel  and  Mary  seated  by 
the  evening  lamp  of  their  friends,  when  Mrs. 
Organ  exclaimed,  as  she  burst  into  tears, 
w  We  know  where  Zeke  is  !  We  helped  him 
off !  Can  anybody  ever  forgive  us !  " 

"  It  was  a  mean  act  in  us ! "  exclaimed 
Joel,  as  he  rose  from  his  chair  in  his  ex- 
citement, and  walked  the  floor.  "And  a 
wicked  thing,  as  I  view  it  now,"  he  contin- 
ued, rubbing  his  hands  and  quickening  his 
steps.  Then,  a  few  moments  after,  stopping 
directly  in  front  of  Mr.  Alden's  chair,  and 
looking  him  full  in  the  face,  he  asked,  earn- 
estly, "Do  you  think  God  can  forgive  such 
mean  wickedness?" 

*'  He  has  forgiven  me,"  said  Mr.  Alden, 
fervently. 

"  You!  you!  John,  who  never  did  any- 
thing but  good  all  the  days  of  your  life ! 
such  as  you" — 


THE    COMFORTER.  321 

"Hush!  Joel,"  said  Mr.  Alden,  rising  and 
laying  his  hand  gently  on  his  friend's  shoul- 
der, while  his  lip  quivered  with  emotion, 
"hush,  Joel,  the  Spirit  will  be  grieved  by 
such  talk.  You  know  not  what  you  say ! 
Jesus,  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  raised  the  dead 
when  he  gave  me  a  new  life !  Say,  f  This 
is  a  faithful  saying  and  worthy  of  all  accep- 
tation, that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world 
to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.'" 

"Yes,  I  am  the  chief  of  sinners,"  replied 
Joel.  "  I  stole  a  son  away  from  "his  parents. 
I  have  wickedly  concealed  the  fact,  and  tried 
to  justify  it  by  many  foolish  and  wicked  ar- 
guments constantly  preached  to  myself.  Can 
I  be  forgiven?" 

"I  have  been  much  worse  than  you,  Joel," 
interposed  his  wife.  "  You'd  never  sent  Zeke 
away  if  it  hadn't  been  for  me,  and  you  would 
have  brought  him  back  long  ago  if  1  had  not 
persisted  in  keeping  up  the  lying  to  him  and 
others.  1  am  the  greatest  sinner." 

21 


322       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

A  gleam  of  joy  shot  across  the  face  of 
Patience  Alden,  at  this  unusual  spirit  of 
contention.  "When  the  Spirit  lifts  the  vail 
from  a  sinner's  heart,  he  sees  his  own  sins 
as  the  greatest,"  she  said,  softly. 

John  Alden's  words  were  few,  but  they 
were  spoken  by  divine  help,  and  went  di- 
rectly to  the  hearts  of  the  inquirers.  They 
then  kneeled  together  before  God.  John 
Alden  had  learned,  as  he  said,  to  turn  all 
the  sin-sick  who  came  inquiring  of  him,  over 
to  the  Great  Healer.  He  often  sung, — 

"None  but  Jesus 
Can  do  helpless  sinners  good." 

So  he  made  short  work  of  their  case  by 
bringing  them  to  the  Master.  It  seemed  to 
the  penitents  that  a  divine  voice  spoke  in 
every  word  of  the  prayer.  It  spoke  not  in 
wrath,  for  they  had  "  not  come  to  the  mount 
that  might  be  touched,  and  that  burned  with 
fire,  nor  unto  blackness,  and  darkness,  and 


THE    COMFORTER.  323 

tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and 
the  voice  of  words  ; "  "  but  to 

Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  and 
to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh  bet- 
ter things  than  that  of  Abel."  So  their  tears 
.were  dried ;  their  burdens  were  removed ; 
their  darkness  disappeared,  and  the  true  light 
of  the  believer  came  pouring  into  their  minds 
and  hearts. 

"John,  will  you  accompany  us  to  Ezekiel 
Crone's?" 

"To-night,  Joel?"  said  Mr.  Alden,  smil- 
ing. 

"Yes,  to-night.  I  now  feel  just  like  go- 
ing." 

"Patience,  you  will  go  too?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Organ. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alden  were  not  reluctant  to 
comply  with  the  request.  Though  it  would 
be  a  late  hour  to  make  a  call,  the  work  to 
be  done  was  that  of  Christian  duty,  which 
promised  the  special  blessing  of  the  Saviour 
upon  all  concerned. 


324       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"Jerusha  will  bitterly  reproach  me  for  my 
part  in  getting  Zeke  off,"  thought  Mrs. .Or- 
gan, as  she  mused  in  silence  while  they  rode 
to  Crone's  Corner.  "  Well,"  she  submissively 
responded  to  the  thought,  "let  her  reproach 
me,  I  deserve  it.  She  caimot  say  too  hard 
things  about  me.  I  will  hear  it  all,  and  tell 
her  I  shall  despise  myself  for  it  as  long  as 
I  live." 

Joel  Organ  mused  thus  :  "  Ezekiel  Crone 
knows  I  have  greatly  wronged  him ;  and  / 
know  it.  Ezekiel  can  say  hard  things  when 
he  gets  roused,  and  if  anything  ever  gave 
him  a  good  reason  to  be  roused,  my  treat- 
ment of  his  family  has.  So  Ezekiel  will 
attack  me  fiercely  with  his  tongue,  and  be- 
fore John  and  Patience  too.  Well,  I'll  let 
him.  It  will  be  good  enough  for  me ;  and 
when  he  is  done,  I'll  tell  him  if  he  will  for- 
give me,  I'll  be  his  best  friend." 

With  these  feelings  the  party  arrived  at 
the  Corner.  The  dog  announced  their  com- 
ing by  loud  barking. 


THE    COMFORTER.  325 

"Who  can  be  coming  at  this  late  hour?" 
said  Mr.  Crone,  laying  down  his  book,  in 
which  he  had  been  deeply  interested. 
Thomas,  who  had  been  quite  absorbed  in 
his  school  lesson,  ran  to  the  door  to  call 
the  dog  away  from  the  strangers.  "It's 
John  Alden's  sleigh,  I  know  it  by  the 
bells ! "  he  exclaimed,  stepping  back  to  get 
his  cap. 

"  And  the  sleigh  too  of  our  Joel  and  Mary, 
as  you  live ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Crone,  with 
a  flush  of  delight,  placing  a  candle  in  the 
window  to  light  them  up  the  path,  and 
going  to  the  door  to  meet  them.  Mr.  Crone 
and  Tom  had  shouted  their  hearty  welcome 
when  the  visiting  party  had  hardly  moved 
to  leave  the  sleigh.  Mrs.  Crone  greeted 
them  cordially  in  the  entry,  throwing  her 
arms  about  Mrs.  Organ's  neck  and  kissing 
her,  while  both  wept  freely. 

"You  will  loathe  me!"  sobbed  Mrs.  Or- 
gan, "when  you  know  how  mean  and  wicked 


326      THE  LUCK  OF  ALUEN  FARM. 

I  have  been.  I  sent  Zeke  off,  and  kept  him 
away." 

"  It's  enough  !  My  boy  will  return  then  ! " 
said  Mrs.  Crone,  kissing  her  visitor  again 
as  she  drew  a  chair  for  her,  and  began  at 
the  same  time  to  aid  in  removing  her  "muff 
and  tippet,"  and  heavy  over-clothes.  The 
meetiug  of  the  men  was  with  more  self-con- 
trol. "I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Joel,"  Mr. 
Crone  repeated,  as  he  took  his  hat  and  heavy 
overcoat.  "Thank  you!"  said  Mr.  Organ, 
with  a  desperate  effort  to  keep  calm.  The 
Aldens  divided  the  attention  of  the  rest  of 
the  company  for  a  while,  and  all  sat  down 
around  the  blazing  fire. 

"Ezekiel,"  said  Mr.  Organ,  directing  his 
attention  to  Mr.  Crone,  "your  whole  year  of 
suffering  for  the  loss  of  your  boy  is  owing 
to  me ;  getting  and  keeping  him  away  is  all 
my  wicked  work." 

"Joel,  say  more  mine,"  interposed  his 
wife,  breaking  down  again  with  the  rush  of 
uncontrollable  emotion. 


THE   COMFORTER.  327 

Joel  paused  for  a  moment,  awaiting  the 
scourging  of  Ezekiel's  tongue,  which  he  knew 
so  well  how  to  lay  on,  and  which  Joel  had 
so  keenly  felt  aforetimes. 

"Joel,  it  was  all  of  God,"  replied  Mr. 
Crone,  with  a  Christian  composure,  which 
amazed  his  relatives.  "We  needed  such  a 
correction  of  our  great  faults  as  parents." 

"  That  we  did  ! "  interposed  Mrs.  Crone. 
"We  have  been  greatly  to  blame  about 
Zeke.  Joel  and  Mary  needn't  think  any 
thing  more  about  it.  Only  let  us  have  Zeke 
back  again,  and  we  will  be  loving  friends." 

"  There,  now,  this  is  what  Christ  can  do 
when  he  gets  in  the  heart,"  said  Mr.  Alden. 
"Friends,  let  us  sing,  'All  hail  the  power 
of  Jesus'  name!"  The  hymn  was  sung  as 
it  never  was  before  at  Crone's  Corner.  Je- 
rusha  and  Mary  kneeled  at  the  same  chair, 
when  Mr.  Alden  offered  the  sacrifice  of 
praise,  and  made  supplication  for  continued 
grace.  Their  arms  were  thrown  over  each 


328       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

other  in  loving  embrace,  and  God's  blessing 
sealed  their  secret  vow  of  perpetual  recon- 
ciliation. 

When  Joel  and  Mary  arrived  at  their  own 
home,  they  found  Fred  waiting  with  deep 
interest.  "My  son,"  said  his  mother,  with 
great  animation,  "you  have  kept  everything 
looking  nicely.  It  was  never  so  pleasant 
here  before."  The  result  of  the  visit  was 
already  told,  and  Fred's  heart  leaped  for  joy. 
He  read  the  good  news  in  the  faces  of  both 
parents.  He  would  be  compelled  no  longer 
to  carry  the  burdensome  secret  on  his  own 
heart.  He  hastened  to  school  the  next  morn- 
ing by  the  way  of  Crone's  Corner.  He  had 
already  made  the  confession  to  God  of  the 
wrong  of  his  own  part  in  the  guilty  affair, 
and  he  longed  for  the  opportunity  to  confess 
it  to  Tom  and  his  parents.  But  the  injured 
ones  anticipated  his  coming  with  joy,  and 
greeted  him  with  the  words  of  forgiving 
love. 


THE   COMFOKTER.  329 

"Zeke  Crone  is  found  and  is  coming 
home !  "  were  words  upon  every  tongue  the 
following  morning.  The  news  flew  about 
the  to\yn,  like  the  news  of  peace  after  the 
long,  dark  night  of  war.  "I  hope  his  father 
will  flog  him  well ! "  exclaimed  a  gruff  old 
lounger  at  the  tavern  bar,  who  had  come 
for  his  morning  dram. 

"Old  Zeke  Crone  will  know  how  to  lay 
it  on,"  replied  the  bar-keeper,  filling  up  his 
customer's  glass. 

"Yes,  and  Zeke  will  know  how  to  give  it 
to  them  Organs  too,"  replied  old  Gruff,  hold- 
ing for  a  moment  the  glass  to  his  lips. 

A  few  only  of  the  school  children  were 
disposed  to  taunt  Fred  with  what  had  oc- 
curred. Tom's  loving  intimacy  with  him, 
and  the  genuine  undisguised  friendship  of 
the  Aldens,  Carver  and  Miles,  did  much  to 
shield  him.  Besides,  his  own  tears,  when 
the  subject  was  alluded  to,  were  of  them- 
selves a  good  defense  and  the  best  apology 
for  his  wrong  to  all  the  right  minded. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE*  DECEIVERS   AND   THE   DECEIVED. 

SINCE  Joel  Organ  and  his  wife,  followed 
by  Fred,  have  told  their  secret  concerning 
Zeke,  we  are  afforded  an  opportunity  to  give 
the  history  of  his  years  from  home. 

On  that  night  when  the  uproar  in  the 
Crone  kitchen  drove  him  in  a  tempest  of 
passion  out  of  the  house,  he  had  no  settled 
purpose  of  action.  There  was  that  despera- 
tion of  feeling  impelling  his  hurried  steps 
over  the  parental  threshold,  which  often 
pushes  youth,  in  a  moment  of  frenzy,  be- 
yond the  bounds  of  restraint,  into  outbreak- 
ing sin.  Zeke  stood  for  a  few  moments  in 
the  woodshed,  a  volcano  of  passion.  Before 
reason  had  resumed  her  throne,  he  thought 

330 


DECEIVERS   AND   DECEIVED.  331 

he  heard  the  steps  of  liis  father  approaching 
the  door.  He  rushed  from  the  shed,  out  of 
the  yard  into  the  street,  and  down  the  road 
leading  towards  the  Organ  farm.  He  had 
then  no  intention  of  going  there.  He  found 
relief  in  running,  and  so  he  ran  until  out 
of  breath.  He  then  paused,  turned  round 
and  listened.  He  thought  he  heard  the  faint 
sound  of  his  father  in  pursuit,  though  it  was 
but  the  echo  of  his  own  panting  breath.  He 
started  again,  and  hurried  forward  until  he 
had  reached  the  neighborhood  of  his  hating 
and  hated  relatives.  When  his  now  slow 
and  hesitating  step  had  brought  him  to  the 
gate  of  Joel  Organ's  house,  reason  began  its 
unequal  contest  with  passion.  "I'll  go  in, 
and  tell  Joel  and  Mary  how  they  abuse  me 
at  home,"  he  muttered,  spitefully.  "But  Joel 
will  abuse  me  again  and  turn  me  out  doors," 
was  suggested  to  himself.  "If  he  does,  and 

won't    care    where    I    go    nor    what    I    do,    I 

« 
won't   care    if  I    freeze    to   death.     I   wish  I 

WMS   dead  ! " 


332       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

The  cold  wind  was  blowing  a  piercing 
breeze  upon  the  unhappy  boy.  The  per- 
spiration produced  by  his  run  was  fast  sub- 
siding into  a  violent  chill.  The  world,  it 
seemed  to  him,  had  turned  against  him,  and 
wherever  he  turned,  he  was  confronted  with 
misery.  He  was  about  to  exclaim,  "I  don't 
care !  I  wish  I  was  dead ! "  when  the  im- 
ploring, loving  countenance  of  Carver,  as  he 
threw  himself  between  the  rod  of  the  teacher 
and  Zeke's  back,  came  before  him.  He 
seemed  to  hear  again  his  voice,  saying, 
"Don't  strike  him,  sir!  Please,  Mr.  Ever- 
ett, don't  strike  Zeke,  he  isn't  to  blame ! " 
It  was  the  coming  and  whispering  of  the 
good  angel,  to  save  from  utter  ruin  the  im- 
periled heart.  Passion  gave  way  to  reason, 
and  Zeke  whispered,  "I'll  go  in,  and  stay 
awhile  and  warm  me,  and  then  go  home." 
The  clog,  as  Zeke  approached  the  house, 
made  a  noisy  outcry,  which  brought  Joel  to 
the  door.  Zeke  rushed  in,  and  was  fairjy 


DECEIVERS  AND  DECEIVED.       333 

in  the  house  before  he  was  recognized.  His 
countenance  and  shivering  limbs  spoke  for 
him,  and  touched  even  Mary  Organ's  heart. 
She  immediately  set  to  work  to  make  him 
comfortable,  talking  the  while  most  bitterly 
against  the  home  and  its  inmates  which  he 
had  just  left.  "It's  no  more  than  I  should 
have  expected!"  she  exclaimed.  "It's  just 
like  your  father  and  mother.  I  have  known 
them  always.  Turning  their  child  out-door 
in  mid-winter  to  freeze  to  death  !  That's  a 
pretty  kind  of  business  for  Christians !  If 
that's  religion,  I  don't  want  any  of  it!" 
Having  thus  spoken  her  mind  of  the  par- 
ents, she  turned  to  the  boy  with  words  of 
affected  sympathy.  "You've  stood  it,  Zeke, 
longer  than  I  would  if  I'd  been  you.  You're 
a  fool  if  you  ever  go  back ! " 

"  Ever  go  back ! "  were  words  which  start- 
led Zeke.  He  had  not  thought  of  not  re- 
turning. In  fact,  he  had  been  drifting 
before  a  tempest  of  passion,  but  now  that 


334      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

reason  was  getting  her  hand  upon  the  helm, 
he  would  have  started  back  to  the  port  from 
which  he  came.  To  prevent  this,  Mrs.  Or- 
gan kept  a  breeze  in  motion  in  another  di- 
rection. She  placed  the  boy  on  the  great 
settle  before  the  fire,  drew  off  his  boots  and 
stockings,  and  rubbed  his  feet  and  hands ; 
she  then  brought  water  to  wash  his  soiled 
face ;  and  finally,  set  before  him  a  warm, 
inviting  supper.  He  had  eaten  but  little 
since  the  morning,  and  the  food  relished 
well.  Mrs.  Organ  sat  down  beside  him,  and 
assuming  a  tender  tone,  such  as  was  well 
suited  to  his  wounded  feelings,  she  said, 
"Ezekiel,  I  do  pity  you.  You  will  never  be 
anything  while  you  stay  at  home ;  you  know 
you  won't.  Nobody  could  be.  You  are  not 
a  mite  to  blame  for  not  getting  along  well 
in  school." 

"I  don't  think  I  am,"  interposed  Zeke,  with 
feeling. 

"No,"    continued    Mrs.    Organ,    "you   are 


DECEIVERS  AND  DECEIVED.       335 

not.  No  one  thinks  you  are.  Now,  if  I 
was  you,  I  would  go  off  where  I  could  live 
in  peace,  and  by  and  by,  when  your  folks 
get  sorry  for  their  bad  treatment,  you  can 
come  back,  and  show  them  that  you  can  take 
care  of  yourself.  It  will  make  a  man  of 
you,  Zeke,  to  go  away  and  set  up  for  your- 
self." 

Zeke's  resentment  was  still  hot  enough, 
and  his  wounded  feelings  tender  enough,  to 
lead  him  to  listen  to  this  wicked  counsel. 
To  deepen  his  wrong  purposes,  Mr.  Organ 
put  in  his  bad  words  just  here. 

"No  boy  of  your  spirit,"  he  exclaimed,  in 
a  rough  way,  "will  submit  to  what  you  have 
to.  Besides,  Zeke,  your  folks  will  be  glad 
to  get  rid  of  you ;  so  will  all  the  people  of 
the  town." 

This  last  declaration  was  spoken  with  in- 
tense bitterness.  It  was  the  unkindest  cut 
of  all.  Zeke  made  no  answer,  and  soon  re- 
tired to  bed  with  angry  passions  at  fever 


336      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

heat.  Sleep  departed  from  his  eyes,  so  that 
while  his  burdened  parents  and  sorrowing 
brother  were  watching  out  the  weary  hours 
at  the  old  home,  he  was  full  of  tossing  and 
tears. 

"  Glad  to  get  rid  of  me ! "  he  continually 
repeated  to  himself.  "Glad  to  get  rid  of 
me !  Well,  I  guess  I  will  show  them  that 
I  can  take  care  of  myself.  I  won't  go  back. 
I'll  die  first!" 

In  his  heart,  he  did  not  stop  to  inquire 
whether  Joel  had  spoken  the  truth.  Angry 
passion  is  both  blind  and  deaf.  It  plunges 
into  the  surging  sea  first,  and  then  when 
helplessly  struggling  with  its  waves,  considers 
how  escape  can  be  made  possible. 

"Joel,"  said  Mrs.  Organ,  "we've  got  a 
chance  at  last  to  pay  off  the  grudge  we  owe 
the  Crones.  They've  turned  up  their  noses 
at  us  long  enough.  We'll  pay  them  off 
well ! " 

"We'll  plague  them,"   echoed  Mr.    Organ. 


DECEIVERS   AND   DECEIVED.  337 

"Do  you  go  to  town  to-morrow,  and  when 
you  come  back  tell  Zeke  that  you  have  seen 
his  folks,  and  that  old  Crone  and  his  wife 
say  that  they  hope  they  shan't  hear  from 
him  this  ten  years,  and  that  then  they  hope 
he  will  come  back  a  decent  man.  Tell  him, 
too,  that  his  father  says  if  he  comes  back 
before  that  time,  he'll  horsewhip  him,  and 
turn  him  out  of  door." 

Joel  Organ  looked  at  his  wife  with  aston- 
ishment. He  was  prepared  for  most  any 
mean  thing  to  spite  the  Crones,  but  this  au- 
dacious lying  surprised  him.  But  he  saw 
that  his  wife  meant  what  she  said,  and  he 
had  learned  to  submit  in  such  cases. 

"But  what  shall  we  do  with  Zeke?"  in- 
quired Joel.  "We  don't  want  him  hanging 
round  here." 

"Of  course  we  don't,  and  won't  have  him 
neither,"  said  Mrs.  Organ,  emphatically. 
"But  I  will  manage  that,  if  you  will  do  as 
I  say." 


338      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

• 

Joel  smiled  significantly  and  nodded  assent. 

"There's  your  old  Uncle  Prince,"  continued 
Mrs.  Organ,  "who  lives  up  country.  You 
know  he  said  last  fall,  that  he  should  want 
a  boy  before  the  spring  opened.  He's  fa- 
mous, you  know,  for  taming  wild  colts  and 
making  bad  boys  toe  the  mark.  Zeke  will 
be  a  deal  better  off  up  there,  and  his  ab- 
sence for  a  month  or  two  will  do  good  at 
Crone's  Corner.  I  will  fix  up  some  of  Fred's 
old  clothes  for  him,  and  do  you  write  the 
old  man  Prince  a  letter  for  Zeke  to  take 
along  with  him.  It  will  be  a  real  blessing 
for  all  hands  to  have  him  go." 

The  next  morning  Joel  Organ  went  about 
the  business  of  carrying  out  his  wife's  plan, 
with  a  desperate  sort  of  earnestness.  He  was 
off  to  town  early,  but  not  be'fore  Zeke  was 
astir.  The  boy  stood  by  the  wagon  as  he 
was  about  to  start,  wavering  in  his  resolution 
to  separate  himself  from  his  home.  Mrs. 
Organ's  quick  eye  discerned  this.  Calling 


DECEIVERS  AND  DECEIVED.       339 

him  into  the  house,  she  said,  plausibly,  "Mr. 
Organ  is  going  to  the  town,  and  he  will  hear 
what  they  say  at  home  about  your  absence. 
If  they  desire  you  to  come  back,  and  he  can 
get  any  evidence  that  you  won't  be  beat  and 
turned  out  of  doors,  you  can  return.  Other- 
wise, we  will  find  a  real  good  place  for  you." 

With  this  assurance,  Zeke  willingly  re- 
mained behind.  But  the  day  wore  heavily 
away.  He  waited  uneasily  for  Mr.  Organ's 
return,  for,  though  so  deeply  wounded,  and 
so  thoroughly  excited  to  bad  blood,  there 
was  a  remaining  longing  for  home  —  espe- 
cially for  re-union  with  Tom  and  the  sisters. 

"  It's  as  I  expected,  Zeke,"  said  Mr.  Or- 
gan, as  the  homesick  boy  met  him  at  the 
gate.  "I  saw  good  Deacon  Turner  to-day. 
The  deacon's  word,  you  know,  can  be  relied 
upon.  He  said  he  had  just  been  to  the 
Corner,  and  that  he  was  sorry  to  find  your 
father  and  mother  in  such  a  wicked  frame  of 
mind.  They  declared,  said  the  deacon,  that 


340      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

their  runaway  boy  should  never  come  into 
the  house  again,  or  never,  at  least,  until  he 
had  proved  himself  somewhere  else  a  differ- 
ent boy.  Your  father  declared  that  if  you 
did  come,  he  would  horsewhip  you  and  turn 
yon  out  again.  And  the  deacon  further  said 
that  even  Tom  and  the  young  sisters  seemed 
well  satisfied  to  have  their  brother  gone,  and 
he  guessed  they  would  be  quite  as  well  off 
without  Zeke,  and  he  hoped  it  would  be  best 
for  Zeke  himself."  Mr.  Organ  added  to 
these  lying  words  the  remark  that  he  had  not 
told  any  one  that  he  knew  anything  about 
the  runaway,  and  as  people  didn't  seem  to 
care  what  had  become  of  him,  he  had  no 
difficulty  in  keeping  the  secret. 

Zeke's  heart  was  full  to  breaking  during 
this  statement.  When  it  was  finished  he 
cried  outright.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Organ  scolded 
and  ridiculed  him  by  turns. 

"There,  Zeke,"  said  Mrs.  Organ,  "I 
thought  you  had  more  spunk  than  that.  I 


DECEIVEKS  AND  DECEIVED.       341 

wouldn't  be  -  a  baby.  You  see  your  folks 
don't  care  for  you ;  why  should  you  care  ? 
You  can  make  a  man  of  yourself  yet,  Zeke. 
Come,  cheer  up !  I  will  fix  you  up  a  box 
of  clothes  this  very  day.  We  have  got  a 
good  place  all  ready  for  you,  where  you'll 
have  good  treatment,  better  company,  and 
a  chance  to  study  and  Tead,  so  that  by  and 
by  you  can  come  back  and  show  the  people 
that  Zeke  Crone  is  somebody." 

"  There,  stop  that  blubbering  ! "  exclaimed 
Mr.  Organ,  in  a  rough,  unfeeling  manner. 

"Do  show  a  little  gumption,"  joined  in 
Mrs.  Organ. 

But  Zeke  had  his  cry  out.  Grief  was  at 
length  satisfied  by  the  tears,  and  now  re- 
sentment came  in  to  give  him  a  disposition 
to  assent  to,  and  even  to  join  with  some  cor- 
diality in  the  plans  of  his  relatives.  He  be- 
gan to  believe  what  they  so  boldly  assumed, 
that  they  were  his  best  friends.  He  was 
kept  closely  in  the  house  for  two  days, 


342      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

while  Mrs.  Organ  mended  and*  altered  some 
old  clothes,  "running  the  heels"  of  a  few 
pair  of  new  stocking,  and  putting  in,  to 
make  the  rest  more  acceptable,  a  new  over- 
frock,  which,  as  Mrs.  Organ  remarked,  was 
"as  nice  as  a  pink,  and  would  do  to  wear  to 
meeting." 

Fred  looked  upon  all  these  movements  with 
mingled  feelings.  He  hated,  yet  pitied  Zeke. 
But  his  fear  of  his  parents  was  his  prevail- 
ing, daily  experience.  When  he  went  to 
school  he  felt  much  the  restraint  in  reference 
to  betraying  the  secret  he  held,  that  a  sol- 
dier feels  when  he  fears  to  desert  lest  he  be 
shot.  So  Zeke  received  only  a  cold  kind  of 
sympathy  from  Fred. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  of  his 
departure  from  home,  long  before  the  tardy 
winter  sunrising  sparkled  on  the  snowy  hill- 
tops, Joel  Organ  and  Zeke  were  on  their 
way'  to  the  "Eagle  Tavern,"  twenty-five  miles 
distant.  The  sleighing  was  excellent.  The 


DECEIVERS   AND   DECEIVED.  343 

• 

"turning  out"  was  the  only  impediment  to 
their  rapid  progress,  for  the  heavy  sleds 
carrying  wood  and  logs  had  done  most  of 
the  breaking  out,  so  that  the  snow  wall  on 
either  side  was  hard  and  steep.  But  at  this 
early  hour,  but  few  teams  were  met.  Mrs. 
Oro;an  had  put  Zeke  on  a  stool  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sleigh,  and  covered  him  up  with 
a  heavy  blanket.  "Now,  Zeke,"  she  said, 
emphatically,  affecting  a  tender  interest  in 
him,  "you  will  freeze  if  you  show  your  head 
outside  of  the  blanket.  You  may  peek  out, 
that's  all." 

Joel  gave  his  wife  a  knowing  wink,  as 
much  as  to  say,  /  understand,  and  drove  off. 
He  was  well  out  of  the  vicinity  of  all  who 
might  recognize  him,  before  he  allowed  Zeke 
to  sit  on  the  seat,  and  look  out  upon  the 
country  they  were  passing. 

It  was  yet  scarcely  the  early  dinner  hour 
when  our  travelers  arrived  at  the  Eagle 
Tavern.  It  was  on  the  stage  road  to  the 


344      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

'country  home  of  Capt.  James  Prince,  yet 
fifty  miles  away.  Joel  drove  under  the 
horse-sheds,  took  out  the  baiting  he  had 
brought  with  him,  and  fed  his  horse,  and  then 
sat  in  the  sleigh  and  ate  the  lunch  which  his 
wife  had  carefully  stowed  away  under  the 
seat.  There  was  enough  to  eat,  and  that 
which  was  good,  but  Zeke  relished  nothing, 
though  urged  to  help  himself.  Their  drink 
was  a  small  can  of  cold  coffee,  whose  lack 
of  warmth  was  made  up  by  a  bottle  of  rum 
and  molasses,  of  which  both  took  a  sip.  Joel 
despised  drunkards,  and  took  his  moderate 
sip  of  rum  every  day.  He  had  kept  far 
away  from  the  influence  of  John  Alden's 
"temperance  notions,"  and  so  was  in  the 
darkness  of  heathenism  as  to  true  temper- 
ance. The  luck  of  Aldeii  Farm  in  possess- 
ing light  on  this  subject,  had  thrown  some 
rays  into  Zeke's  mind.  So  he  took  the  poi- 
sonous sip  reluctantly,  and  with  some  for- 
biddings  of  conscience.  But  his  will  in  this 


DECEIVERS  AND  DECEIVED.       345 

direction  was  not  up  to  the  "  no  "  point,  and 
he  yielded  to  Joel's  gruff,  "It  will  do  you 
good,  boy." 

Mr.  Organ  now  went  into  the  tavern,  sat 
down  by  the  bar-room  fire,  chatted  with  the 
loungers,  answered  all  their  questions  as  to 
where  he  came  from,  what  he  was  there  for, 
where  the  boy  was  going,  and  on  to  the 
end  of  the  asking,  as  readily  as  a  stranger 
in  our  modern  cars  tells  the  conductor  at 
what  depot  he  wishes  to  get  off.  He  then 
introduced  the  case  of  Zeke  to  the  bar- 

• 

tender,  had  his  name,  town  to  which  he  was 
to  go,  and  person,  Captain  James  Prince,  to 
whom  he  was  consigned,  booked,  and  paid 
his  fare  and  night's  lodging.  This  official  — 
the  bar-tender  —  agreed  to  see  Zeke  on  the 
stage  in  due  season,  the  next  morning,  and 
give  the  driver  the  proper  orders  for  his 
delivery.  This  done,  JoeJ  turned  to  Zeke, 
slipped  into  his  hand,  with  an  air  of  one 
doing  a  deed  of  becoming  generosity,  a  Span- 


346      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

ish  "quarter"  for  contingencies  by  the  way, 
and  said,  striking  him  familiarly  on  the  back, 
"Good  luck  to  you,  Zeke,"  entered  his  sleigh 
and  drove  homeward. 

Zeke  had  been  entrusted  with  his  box  of 
clothes, — which  the  bar-tender  put  among  the 
baggage  for  the  morning  stage, — and  with  his 
box  of  provisions  for  board.  Besides,  Mr. 
Organ  had  given  him  a  sealed  letter  of  in- 
troduction to  his  Uncle  Prince.  It  read  as 
follows : 

"  DEAR  UNCLE  :  —  Knowing  that  you  want 
a  boy  for  all-work  ^bout  the  house  and  farm, 
I  send  you  Ezekiel  Crone.  His  parents  have 
cruelly  turned  him  out-doors.  He  is  rather 
a  bad  boy,  but  under  your  hand  I  have  no 
doubt  he  will  render  you  good  service. 
"Your  Nephew, 

"  JOEL  ORGAN." 


Zeke   was   thus   starting   in   the-  world    for 


DECEIVERS   AND   DECEIVED.  347 

himself.  Wronged  at  borne  by  blundering 
parents ;  wronged  by  those  who  affected  to 
be  his  friends,  by  placing  him  in  a  false  posi- 
tion towards  his  parents  ;  and  to  be  dispar- 
aged in  the  eyes  of  those  to  whom  he  was 
going,  by  the  very  announcement  of  his  com- 
ing ;  and,  worst  of  all,  having  but  little 
knowledge  of  the  right  way,  and  loving  it 
less.  But  there  was  One  whose  eye  was 
upon  the  wandering  boy ;  "  whose  compas- 
sions fail  not,"  and  whose  "mercy  is  higher 
than  the  heavens " ;  who  saw  the  tears  which 
were  shed  for  him,  in  spite  of  the  lying  of 
his  professed  friends ;  who  heard  the  prayers 
at  the  Corner,  at  the  Alden  Farm,  and  from 
many  other  devout  hearts  ;  — One,  whose  bless- 
ings are  life  and  peace. 

Zeke  remained  in  the  bar-room,  listening  to 
the  talk  of  the  loungers,  seeing  the  smoking 
and  drinking,  hearing  the  profanity,  until  the 
sights  and  sounds  sickened  his  mind  and 
heart.  He  looked  into  the  village  store, 


348      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

but  it  was  only  a  little  different  in  its  atmos- 
phere and  company,  from  the  tavern.  He 
walked  through  the  village  to  the  side  on 
which  stood  the  church  and  school-house. 
The  scholars  were  just  coming  out  with  a 
shout  and  running  towards  their  home.  Zeke 
wiped  a  tear  from  his  eye,  which  was  soon 
dry  as  he  recalled  Joel's  declaration,  "They 
are  glad  to  get  rid  of  you  at  home !  "  He 
returned  to  the  bar-room,  ate  his  supper  by 
the  fire,  drank  a  few  cents'  worth  of  rum 
and  molasses,  and  went  early  to  bed,  with 
a  feeling  of  reckless  disregard  of  the  future. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

LONELY  AND   COMFORTLESS. 

IT  was  just  as  the  night  was  coming  on, 
when  Zeke  was  left  at  the  house  of  Captain 
James  Prince.  His  box  was  tossed  after, 
him  by  the  unceremonious  stage-driver,  who 
exclaimed,  "Here,  boy,  this  is  the  place 
where  you  are  to  stop ;  now  behave  your- 
self or " —  Zeke  lost  the  last  sentence,  as 
the  driver  mounted  the  stage  box,  gave  his 
whip  a  crack  and  dashed  away.  He  walked 
up  to  the  front  door,  letter  in  hand,  and 
lifted  the  heavy  knocker;  the  noise,  as  it 
rung  through  the  house,  struck  also  to  the 
homesick  boy's  heart.  The  captain  himself 
came  to  the  door.  He  was  a  tall,  well-pro- 
portioned, strong,  rough,  but  not  to  those 

349 


350      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

who  knew  him,  an  unkind  looking  man.  He 
was*  well-dressed  in  a  farmer's  home-spun 
suit.  He  wore  spectacles,  and  looked  over 
the  top  of  them  at  the  stranger-boy,  with 
his  large,  piercing  eyes.  If  he  had  been  the 
Czar  of  all  the  Russias  he  would  not  have 
more  awestruck  him  as  he  handed  the  letter. 
The  captain  read  it,  crushed  it  in  his  great 
brawny  hand,  took  off  his  glasses,  and  looked 
at  him  for  a  few  moments  in  silence.  They 
seemed  to  Zeke  snail-creeping  moments. 
"You  should  have  gone  to  the  side  door, 
boy,"  he  said,  at  length,  in  a  decided  tone. 
Zeke  stood  statue-like,  not  knowing  whether 
he  should  now  go  to  the  side  door,  or  come 
in  at  that  where  the  master  of  the  house 
stood,  or  go  away  altogether,  and  have  the 
door  shut  in  his  face.  Captain  Prince  saw 
his  confusion,  and  said,  in  a  softer  tone, 
"Well,  never  mind,  now.  Come  along." 
Zeke  followed  through  the  parlor,  through 
the  sitting-room,  where  Mrs.  Prince  was  sit- 


LONELY   AND    COMFORTLESS.  351 

ting,  into  the  kitchen.  "There — let  me  see, 
what  is  your  name?"  said  the  captain,  smooth- 
ing out  the  letter  and  adjusting  his  specta- 
cles. "Ezekiel,  sir;  they  call  me  Zeke." 

"Ezekiel  never  should  be  called  Zeke," 
said  the  captain,  sharply.  "I  never  will 
allow  it  in  my  house.  There,  Ezekiel,  sit 
down  on  the  settle  ! " 

Captain  Prince  returned  to  the  sitting-room 
without  saying  another  word. 

"Pray,  husband,  who  have  you  there?" 
said  Mrs.  Prince.  Her  husband  read  the 
letter,  and  neither  said  a  word  for  some  min- 
utes. "Do  you  wish,  husband,  a  boy  who 
has  been  turned  out-door  by  his  parents?" 
suggested  Mrs.  Prince. 

"Don't  know;  some  parents  are  indiscreet," 
replied  the  captain,  with  a  dignity,  which, 
to  a  stranger,  would  have  seemed  haughty. 

"But  Joel  says  he  is  rather  a  bad  boy," 
remarked  Mrs.  Prince. 

"He  may  not  remain  so,"  replied  the  cap- 


352       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

tain,  resuming  the  examination  of  the  papers 
in  which  he  had  been  engaged.  Mrs.  Prince 
arose  and  went  into  the  kitchen.  She  cast 
a  momentary  glance  at  Zeke,  but  it  seemed 
to  him  that  she  read  his  thoughts  and  knew 
his  whole  history.  The  only  other  persons 
in  the  kitchen  were  an  ancient  maiden,  whom 
they  called  Nancy,  and  John,  the  hired  man. 
Neither  of  these  important  personages  -had 
appeared  to  take  the  least  notice  of  the  boy'. 
John  was  reading,  and  was  evidently  pro- 
foundly indifferent  to  his  case,  whether  he 
stayed  or  left.  Nancy  had  grown  up  from 
early  womanhood  in  the  family  as  help.  She 
disliked  children,  and  was  fond  of  saying 
that  she  was  "glad  and  thankful"  that  there 
had  never  been  "  a  screaming  young  one " 
ill  the  family.  Young  people  she  barely  en- 
dured, especially  boys.  She  would  "fidget" 
immediately  if  one  came  to  the  house,  and 
walked  with  soiled  feet  across  her  spotless 
white  floor.  She  hoped  that  Zeke  was  only 


LONELY  AND   COMFORTLESS.  353 

a  passer-by,  whom  the  captain  had  admitted 
to  spend  a  few  moments  at  the  fire. 

"Nancy,  get  this  boy,  Ezekiel,  some  sup- 
per, and  then  conduct  him  to  the  boy's  room, 
where  he  will  sleep.  John,  bring  his  box 
from  the  side  of  the  road,  where  I  saw  the 
stage-man  drop  it.  Ezekiel,  wash  your  face 
and  hands  before  eating,  for  I  see  they  are 
soiled  by  your  travel,  and  then  wash  them 
again  after  supper.  There  is  the  sink,  and 
yonder  is  the  'roller.'  The  time  here  for 
boys  to  retire  is  half-past  eight,  in  the  win- 
ter. You  see  the  clock  in  the  corne'r  of  the 
kitchen." 

All  these  orders  were  uttered  in  a  matter- 
of-course  way,  and  obeyed,  so  far  as  John 
and  Nancy  were  concerned,  as  a  matter  of 
course.  Nancy  felt  fidgety  at  his  introduc- 
tion into  the  family.  But  then,  what  of  that ! 
She  understood  that  it  was  simply  none  of 
her  business,  which  was  a  short  way,  at 
least,  of  settling  the  matter.  Ezekiel  ate  his 

23 


354      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

supper,  and,  in  spite  of  many  strange  emo- 
tions, he  ate  heartily.  He  had  not  eaten  a 
warm  meal  since  leaving  Joel's,  and  Nancy's 
toast,  warmed-over  hashed  meat,  and  cup 
of  tea,  were  relished  well.  Having  finished 
supper,  he  went  back  to  his  place  near  the 
fire,  watching  the  while  the  clock  for  the 
hand  to  approach  eight  and  a  half.  When 
eight  o'clock  was  noted  on  the  dial  plate, 
he  arose,  saying,  "I  think  I  won't  wait  until 
half  past  eight,  I'm  tired,"  intimating  to 
Nancy  his  desire  to  be  shown  to  his  room. 
Nancy  kept  on  sewing,  and  the  boy  stood 
in  the  floor  looking  at  her  with  a  puzzled 
air.  He  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  next 

to   say   or   do. 
} 

Nancy  looked  at  him  a  moment,  and  said, 

curtly,  "Better  wash  your  face  and  hands, 
as  the  mistress  bid  you,  and  not  be  soiling 
my  clean  sheets  the  first  thing." 

The   words   struck  Zeke  like  a  current   of 
electricity.     "I   don't  want  you   to  wipe   all 


LONELY   AND   COMFORTLESS.  355 

the  dirt  off  your  hands  on  my  clean  roller, 
neither;  wash  them  clean,"  added  Nancy, 
without  raising  her  eyes  from  her  work. 
Seeing  this  condition  fulfilled,  she  took  the 
light  and  bid  Ezekiel  follow  her.  She  led 
the  way  to  a  room  over  the  wood-shed,  next 
to  John's.  It  looked  inviting,  however;  a 
piece  of  domestic  matting  spread  before  the 
bed,  a  stand  placed  under  a  small  ghiss,  and 
a  chair,  with  the  bed  and  its  clean  sheets, 
completed  the  furnishing.  "Remember  that 
four  o'clock  is  the  time  to  get  up,"  said 
Nancy,  setting  down  the  lamp  and  disappear- 
ing without  wasting  breath  on  any  ceremo- 
nious "I  hope  you'll  like  your  new  quarters," 
or,  "May  you  sleep  well,"  or  even  a  "Good 
night." 

"Seems  to  me,"  muttered  Zeke,  "these 
folks  are  amazing  short;  how  shall  I  know 
when  it's  four  o'clock ! "  Tired  and  home- 
sick, yet  irritated  and  discouraged  by  the 
past,  and  reckless  of  the  future,  he  fell 
asleep. 


356       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Captain  James  Prince  was  a  retired  ship- 
master. Having  made  a  number  of  success- 
ful voyages,  and  amassed  some  wealth,  to 
which  his  wife  had,  later  in  life  added  still 
greater  by  inheritance,  he  had  come  back  to 
the  home  of  his  youth,  thinking  to  find  re- 
tirement and  agreeable  rest  in  farming.  He 
had  found  the  retirement,  but  not  the  rest. 
He  was*  as  restless  as  the  ocean  on  whose 
bosom  he  had  sailed.  He  had  altered  every- 
thing about  the  old  homestead,  much  to  the 
disgust  of  all  the  surviving  friends  in  the 
town,  of  his  father.  He  experimented  with 
seeds,*  with  the  manner  of  planting  and  cul- 
tivating them,  and  with  tools  by  which  the 
work  was  done.  He  proved  himself  an  ex- 
perimenting but  not  an  experienced  farmer. 
The  old  cultivators  of  the  soil  shrugged  their 
shoulders  and  grudged  the  money  he  wasted. 
He  kept  fine  horses,  and  paid  a  high  price 
for  choice  breeds  of  domestic  animals.  But, 
iu  spite  of  money  spent,  and  scheming,  of 


LONELY  AND   COMFORTLESS.  357 

care,  and  no  little  real  hard  work  —  for  the 
captain  could  lead  off  in  hard  work, —  noth- 
ing resulted  in  gains  which  anything  like 
approached  the  captain's  idea  of  money-mak- 
ing. He  was  becoming  disgusted,  and  more 
irritable  than  ever.  He  often  walked  his 
room,  looked  at  the  pictures  of  the  ships 
which  he  had  sailed,  and  threatened  to  go  to 
sea  again. 

The  captain  never  had  any  children,  but 
he  had  taken  many  boys  to  bring  up.  His 
mode  of  managing  his  domestics  and  em- 
ployees was  that  of  the  quarter-deck.  Of 
conciliation,  and  the  power  of  drawing  -others' 
after  him  by  kindness,  and  a  loving  exam- 
ple, he  knew  nothing.  But  Captain  Prince 
meant  to  be  just.  His  word,  everywhere, 
was  as  good  as  his  note.  If  anything  roused 
the  profane  anger  of  the  old  sailor  more  than 
flat  disobedience  in  one  under  his  authority, 
it  was  downright  meanness.  There  was  with- 
al a  tender  place  in  the  captain's  heart,  but 


358       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

some  of  his  household  thought  that  it  was 
a  long  and  bitter  waiting  before  they  found  it. 

Zeke  did  not  wake  up  at  four  o'clock ;  of 
course  he  did  not,  for  he  was  very  tired, 
and  his  journey  had  been  a  wakeful  one. 
The  captain  noticed  it,  and  simply  said, 
"Beware,  boy,  of  the  second  time." 

Zeke  had  wondered  what  there  was  to  be 
done  to  require  him  to  rise  at  four  o'clock. 
But  a  sight  of  the  long  barn,  and  line  of 
cattle  to  be  cared  for,  including  the  milking 
of  twenty  cows,  enlightened  him.  John  had 
been  at  work  two  hours  when  Zeke  made  his 
appearance,  and  Nancy  had  the  breakfast 
ready  in  the  kitchen.  The  captain  and  his 
wife  were  astir,  but  took  their  breakfast 
later,  in  the  dining-room.  Nancy  set  the 
food  before  the  new  comer,  but  said  nothing, 
and  the "  whole  meal  was  eaten  without  a 
word,  except  when  something  was  wanted. 
John  swallowed  his  food  in  haste,  and  re- 
turned to  his  work.  "You'd  better  follow 


LONELY  AND  COMFORTLESS.  359 

John  to  the  barn,"  said  Nancy,  before  Zeke 
had  swallowed  the  last  mouthful.  John 
pointed  to  the  stalls  of  the  horses,  as  much 
as  to  say,  "You  can  well  enough  see  what 

• 

there  is  to  be  done.  Do  it."  Zeke  did 
know  what  was  to  be  done,  and,  impelled 
by  a  fear  he  could  not  explain,  but  which 
burdened  his  spirits  quite  as  much  as  it 
stimulated  his  hands,  he  worked  with  his 
full  strength.  He  had  cleaned  out  several 
stalls,  and  was  driving  at  others,  when, 
looking  up,  he  saw  the  captain  standing  over 
him.  His  look  did  not  express  anger  or  re- 
proof, but  only  inquiry.  He  .was  evidently 
satisfied  for  the  moment  with  his  new  boy. 
He  did  not  say  so,  though  to  have  said, 
simply,  "There!  that's  right,  iny  boy!"  or 
only,  "  Well  done ! "  would  have  been  so 
easy,  cost  so  little,  and  done  the  little  stran- 
ger's heart  so  much  good.  We  have  only 
.this  most  miserable  of,  all  excuses  for  the 
captain :  It  was  his  way !  If  the  boy  had 


360      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

been  loitering,  or  had  done  his  work  blun- 
deringly, whew !  how  quick  he  would  have 
opened  his  mouth,  and  how  sharp  the  words 
would  have  been.  Strange  that  with  j^ape 
people  bitter  complaints  are  thoughtt&  fee 
worth  more  than  rightful  and  timel^com- 
rnendations ! 

Zeke  cleaned  out  all  the  stalls  —  a  long, 
hard  job,  but  one  which  had  to  be  done 
every  morning.  Having  done  it,  he  said  to 
himself,  "I  wonder  where  the  bedding  is? 
Nobody  tells  me  anything."  Stepping  up  to 
John,  who  was  currying  the  carriage  horse, 
he  asked,  "Will  you  tell,  John,  where  the 
bedding  is?" 

"Use  your  eyes,  boy,  and  find  it,"  was  the 
only  reply,  as  John  applied  the  currycomb 
with  increased  vigor,  acting  as  if  a  word 
spoken  was  a  moment  lost.  Ezekiel,  in 
looking  round,  stumbled  upon  some  fine  hay 
which  seemed  to  be  lying  about  loosely.  He 
began  to  pitch  it  into  the  stalls.  "Hold  on 


LONELY  AND  COMFORTLESS.  361 

there,  you  booby !  That's  the  feed  of  the 
young  critters  !  Don't  you  know  rowen  from 
bedding ! "  The  boy's  face  flushed  with  anger 
and  grief.  He  looked  further  through  the 
barn  and  connected  sheds,  and  found,  near 
the  enclosures  for  the  calves,  some  refuse 
hay  and  straw.  This  he  ventured  to  pitch 
into  the  stalls.  "That's  more  like  it!" 
shouted  John,  iu  a  softer  tone,  feeling  some 
self-reproach  for  his  harsh  chidings.  But  he 
did  not  apologize  for  it.  That  would  have 
been  too  truly  manly  for  the  spirit  which 
pervaded  the  Prince  farm. 

When  Zeke  had  completed  his  work  on 
the  stalls,  he  walked  again  along  the  front 
of  each  of  them,  feeling  an  honest  self-ap- 
proval for  having  done  his  work  so  well. 
John,  who  had  looked  through  them  all, 
thought  the  work  well  done,  but  seeing  Zeke 
standing  in  a  musing  attitude,  shouted,  "Do 
you  think,  boy,  you  have  done  all  there  is 
to  be  done !  Clear  up  the  barn  floor ! " 


362      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

Zeke  started,  at  this  rough  demand,  shocked 
as  a  boy  on  the  track,  in  these  days,  would 
be  at  the  sudden  scream  of  a  coming  engine. 
"He  needn't  be  so  cross  about  it,"  muttered 
Zeke,  going  about  the  work  immediately. 
"Everybody  here  is  cross." 

Thus  sharply  prompted,  the  stranger-boy 
went  through  his  first  day's  work.  The  cap- 
tain exchanged  no  words  with  him,  except 
to  give  some  order.  When  his  supper  was 
eaten,  the  chores  being  all  done,  he  sat 
down  on  the  great  settle  and  looked  into 
the  fire.  There  were  but  few  books  in  those 
days,  and  he  had  not  learned  to  find  instruc- 
tion and  amusement  in  them.  It  is  so  dull 
here,  he  mused,  and  he*  watched  the  clock 
for  the  welcome  time  of  retiring.  When  it 
was  eight  o'clock,  he  could  wait  no  longer. 
John  and  Nancy  seldom  spoke  to  one  an- 
other, and  never  to  him.  He  recollected, 
much  to  Nancy's  satisfaction,  to  wash  his  face 
and  hands  before  going  to  bed.  There  was 


LONELY  AND   COMFORTLESS.  363 

no  "good  night"  said,  as  he  retired,  for  no 
one  encouraged  the  kind  expression.  A  cer- 
tain indescribable  fear  burdened  his  mind,  as 
he  lay  down,  lest  he  should  not  awake  at 
four  o'clock.  "Beware  of  the  second  time," 
rung  in  his  ears,  while  the  stern,  overaweing 
face  of  the  captain  was  ever  before  him, 
specter-like  and  distressing.  Thus  burdened 
he  fell  into  an  uneasy  sleep.  He  had  slept 
about  two  hours,  when  he  started  up  in  a 
fright.  It  must  be  late  he  thought.  He 
hastily  arose  and  began  to  dress  himself. 
At  that  moment,  he  heard  John  in  the  en- 
try. He  opened  the  door  and  said,  "Am  I 
late,  John?  I  will  be  down  in  a  moment." 
"Guess  you  need  not  go  down  now.  I'm 
just  a-going  to  bed,"  replied  John,  gruffly. 
Zeke  gladly  returned  to  bed,  and  slept  until 
John's  heavy  tread  by  his  sleeping-room  door 
awoke  him.  He  soon  followed  him  into  the 
kitchen,  where  a  roaring  fire  already  made 
it  look  cheerful.  "Can  you  milk?"  inquired 
John. 


364      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

"As  well  as  anybody,"  replied  Zeke,  smart- 
ly. John  smiled,  but  it  was  a  cold,  selfish 
kind  of  a  smile,  as  he  replied,  ""Well,  boy, 
you  may  take  that  pail  and  follow  me ;  you 
can  have  chance  enough  to  show  what  you 
can  do  in  that  line."  Zeke  soon  learned  the 
truth  of  this.  He  was  kept  at  work  milking 
until  his  wrists  ached,  and  he  was  glad  to 
be  relieved  by  the  call  to  breakfast. 

Thus  working,  watched  by  sharp  eyes,  and 
reproved  with  severity  for  every  misstep, 
without  any  approving  word,  .and  with  sel- 
dom a  suggestion  as  to  how  his  work  should 
be  done,  Zeke  passed  the  first  six  weeks. 
The  spring  had  begun  to  displace  the  winter, 
and  the  work  of  the  farm  pressed  more  heav- 
ily than  ever.  He  yearned  for  some  one  to 
talk  to  —  for  some  vent  to  his  pent  up  feel- 
ings. He  began  to  spend  his  evenings  in 
the  grocery  store,  or  in  the  bar-room  of  the 
neighboring  tavern,  listening  to  the  idle  gos- 
sip, and  becoming  familiar  with  their  atmos- 


LONELY  AND   COMFORTLESS.  365 

phero  of  tobacco  smoke,  and  to  the  low  and 
profane  talk  of  the  half  drunken  men.  The 
captain,  whose  watchfulness  detected  every 
movement  of  his  domestics,  cared  nothing 
for  this,  so  long  as  he  was  in  bed  at  the 
assigned  hour,  eight  and  a  half.  He,  of 
course,  became  more  and  more  interested  in 
the  places  and  the  company.  There  was  in 
his  heart  the  thought,  nobody  cares  for  me ; 
and  it  shook  the  foundation  of  what  little 
moral  principle  he  had  retained.  One  night 
the  story-telling  was  unusually  exciting,  stim- 
ulated by  a  generous  patronage  of  the  bar. 
Zeke  forgot  the  hour  of  returning  home,  until 
the  bar-tender  said,  roughly,  "Boy,  you  live 
with  the  captain,  don't  you?" 

"Yes,    sir,"  said  Zeke,   starting  up. 

"Well,"  said  the  liquor  man,  with  a  sig- 
nificant sneer,  "It's  ten  o'clock,  and  he'll 
warm  you  up  when  you  get  home,  or  he 
an't  Captain  Jim  Prince." 


366      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

The  dim  light  of  the  fire  gleamed  faintly 
in  the  kitchen,  assuring  Zeke  as  he  looked 
through  the  window,  that  John  and  Nancy 
had  gone  to  bed.  I  will  slip  in,  he  thought, 
and  creep  up  to  bed,  and  the  captain  will 
not  know  how  long  I  was  out.  Opening  the 
door  softly,  he  drew  off  his  heavy  boots, 
warmed  himself  for  a  moment,  and  crept 
towards  the  stairway  door.  Suddenly,  as  a 
panther  upon  an  unsuspecting  deer,  the  cap- 
tain, opening  the  door  in  the  opposite  side 
of  the  room,  pounced  upon  him.  Taking 
him  by  the  collar,  he  lifted  him  easily  from 
his  feet,  shook  him  violently,  and  then  threw 
him  his  full  length  upon  the  floor.  As  he 
attempted  to  rise,  the  captain,  with  a  sweep 
of  his  hand,  laid  him  prostrate  again.  When 
he  next  ventured,  a  moment  after,  to  stand 
upon  his  feet,  he  was  alone.  The  captain 
had  disappeared.  No  voice,  nor  sound,  ex- 
cept that  which  had  come  from  his  violent 


LONELY   AND   COMFOETLESS.  3<>7 

handling,  had  Zeke  heard.  He  went  sobbing 
to  bed,  more  crushed  in  heart  than  hurt  in 
body.  It  was  no  comfort  to  him,  in  this 
state  of  mind,  to  hear,  as  he  entered  his 
room,  a  coarse,  heartless  laugh  from  John. 


CHAPTEE  XXI. 

THE   AXGEL  HELPER. 

ZEKE  was  at  the  morning  work  as  soon 
as  John,  though  he  had  slept  but  little.  The 
captain  was  looking  round  as  usual,  but 
neither  he,  nor  any  one,  alluded  to  the  in- 
cidents of  the  evening  before.  Zeke  now 
spent  his  evenings  at  home,  which,  of  course, 
passed  heavily  away,  as  his  chafed  spirits 
were  fast  maturing  into  a  readiness  for 
almost  any  desperate  act.  But  there  was 
yet  a  tender  recollection,  to  some  extent, 
of  those  he  had  left  far  away.  He  thought 
of  them  in  his  silent  musings  at  the  evening 
fireside.  He  thought,  with  tender  emotions, 
of  the  Alden  boys,  and  especially  of  Carver, 
and  of  his  last  act  of  kindness  at  the  school. 

363 


THE   ANGEL   HELPER.  369 

He  would  have  written  to  his  parents  at 
once,  and  have  thrown  himself  as  a  prodigal 
upon  their  forgiveness,  but  for  Mr.  Organ's 
assurance,  "They  are  glad  you  are  gone." 
How  can  the  Aldens  receive  me,  he  reasoned, 
if  my  parents  reject  me.  He  would  have 
even  started  on  foot  for  home,  begging  his 
way  from  door  to  door,  but  for  the  ever- 
haunting  thought,  "They  are  glad  you  are 
gone."  The  letters  which  came  occasionally 
from  Joel  and  his  wife,  reported  that  every- 
body was  satisfied  with  his  absence.  "The 
captain  must  recommend  you  after,  .at  least, 
a  year's  trial,"  added  Joel.  "He  will  never 
say  any  good  of  me  any  way,"  muttered  Zeke, 
on  reading  this  statement.  "It  is  only  what 
he  thinks  is  wrong  that  he  can  talk  about. 
I  don't  care  what  becomes  of  me."  Zeke 
began  to  seek  his  old  haunts  again,  and  even 
the  fear  of  the  captain  restrained  him  but 
little.  "A  shaking  up,"  and  even  a  whip- 
ping, were  defied.  There  was  danger  of  his 

24 


370      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

being  kicked  any  day  from  the  home  of 
Captain  Prince  into  the  wide,  friendless, 
wicked  world,  to  drift  more  and -more  rap- 
idly to  utter  moral  ruin.  But  He  who  hears 
prayer,  listened  to  the  now  humble  and  be- 
lieving prayers  offered  in  secret,  and  at  the 
family  altar  at  Crone's  Corner.  That  watch- 
ful One  cared  for  the  oppressed  and  wronged, 
though  sinning  wanderer ;  He  knew  too  what 
praying  hearts  at  Alden  Farm  and  Hope 
Cottage  were  offering  loving  supplications  in 
his  behalf.  He  had  his  own  faithful  ones 
even  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Prince  farm,  yet 
unknown  to  Zeke,  whom  He  could  send  to 
bless  with  wise  counsel  and  comforting  sym- 
pathy, in  answer  to  these  prayers. 

One  night  Zeke  was,  as  usual,  about  to 
enter  the  tavern  bar,  when  he  felt  the  pres- 
sure of  a  soft  hand  on  his  shoulder.  Look- 
ing around,  his  eyes  met  those  of  a  Quaker 
lady  of  middle  life.  Her  countenance,  ex- 
pressing great  intelligence  and  heartfelt 


THE   ANGEL   HELPER.  371 

kindness,  reminded  him  of  that  of  Patience 
Alden.  The  tears  at  once  started  to  his 
eyes,  and  he  was  completely  under  her  con- 
trol. "Ezekiel,  thou  should'st  not  enter 
there ;  it  leadeth  to  death.  Come  with  me, 
and  I  will  do  thee  good."  Ezekiel  followed 
her  at  once.  She  led  him  to  a  cottage  home 
near  by.  "Sit  down,  Ezekiel,  and  make 
thyself  at  home,"  said  Aunt  Huldah.  Her 
name  was  Huldah  Doane,  but  she  was  sel- 
dom referred  to  except  as  Aunt  Huldah.  "I 
have  heard  of  thee  often,"  she  continued, 
"and  learn  that  thee  dost  not  do  altogether 
right.  But  maybe  thy  sin  is  one  of  igno- 
rance ;  if  so,  I  desire,  by  the  Spirit's  help, 
to  instruct  thee.  Don't  thee  wish,  Ezekiel, 
to  be  instructed  in  the  right  way?" 

"Yes,    ma'am,"   said   Zeke,    feelingly. 

""\Vilt  thee  endeavor,  by  divine  help,  to 
keep  in  it?"  asked  Aunt  Huldah,  with  pity 
and  love  beaming  from  every  feature  of  her 
face,  but  in  a  voice  more  truly  commanding 


372       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

than  the  thunder  tones  of  Captain  Prince. 
Zeke's  only  answer  was  a  flood  of  tears.  He 
had  found  a  friend  whose  chiding  even  fell 
on  his  ear  like  the  sweetest  music.  Though 
he  knew  it  not,  its  tones  were  those  for 
which  his  soul  fainted. 

"Thee  need'st  not  speak,  Ezekiel,"  said 
Aunt  Huldah.  "Thy  tears  are  thy  answer." 
Huldah's  husband  came  in  at  this  moment, 
whom  she  called  Amos.  He  was  more  re- 
served in  speech  than  his  wife,  but  still  his 
bearing  toward  the  stranger-boy  was  that  of 
real  interest  and  kindness.  Aunt  Huldah 
said  a  few  words  concerning  the  evils  of  bad 
company,  and  invited  Zeke  to  spend  his 
leisure  hours  with  her.  "Thee  canst  sit  by 
our  stand,  and  read,  when  thee  is  not  spoken 
to,"  said  Huldah.  "Should  I  have  callers, 
my  kitchen  is  equally  pleasant,  and  thee 
canst  quietly  read.  I  have  no  child,  and 
there  is  none  to  disturb  thee."  Huldah 
wiped  an  unforbidden  tear  from  her  eye  as 


THE   ANGEL   HELPER.  373 

she  said  this.  Her  loved  and  only  child,  a 
son,  died  at  ten  years  of  age.  He  would, 
had  he  lived,  been  of  Zeke's  age. 

"What  is  thy  master's  hour  for  thy  re- 
turning?" inquired  Huldah. 

"At  half  past   eight,"   replied   Zeke. 

"It  is  not  quite  that  time,"  she  replied, 
"but  thee  may'st  go,  so  as  to  be  sure  of 
punctuality."  It  did  not  seem  to  Zeke 
twenty  minutes  since  he  passed  her  thresh- 
old, so  swiftly  had  the  time  flown.  "Be 
faithful  to  thy  master,"  said  Aunt  Huldah, 
as  Zeke  passed  out.  "Do  thy  duty  well,  not 
with  eye-service,  as  pleasing  men,  but  as  in 
the  sight  of  God." 

The  work  of  the  next  day  seemed  lighter 
to  Zeke  than  usual.  The  captain  and  the 
domestics  noticed  his  special  promptness  in 
it,  but  they  maintained  the  usual  silence. 

"Hast  thee  left  no  required  work  undone?" 
said  Aunt  Huldah,  as  Zeke  entered  at  an 
early  hour. 


374      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

"No  ma'am,"  said  Zeke,  honestly,  for  his 
lighter  heart  had  made  more  thorough  work 
at  the  farm. 

"Then  I  bid  thee  welcome.  Sit  down, 
Ezekiel.  Thee  dost  look  weary.  Amos  has 
gone  out  on  business,  so  we  shall  disturb 
no  one  by  our  talk.  I  will  tell  thee  a  tale 
of  the  olden  times.  It  may  rest  thee." 

Zeke  thought  he  was  never  so  little  tired 
in  his  life.  Huldah's  loving  words  sent  his 
blood  coursing  with  invigorating  swiftness 
through  his  veins.  Huldah  worked  away, 
telling  her  story  of  the  sufferings  for  con- 
science sa*ke,  of  one  of  her  own  religious 
faith,  relieving  the  seriousness  of  the  story 
by  a  quiet  humor  for  which  she  was  remark- 
able. 

"It's  eight  o'clock,  Ezekiel,"  said  Aunt 
Huldah,  bringing  her  story  to  a  sudden  end. 

"It's  too  bad,"  said  Zeke,  "to  have  to  go 
now.  I  don't  see  why  the  captain  cannot 
let  me  stay  until  nine.  That  is  early  enough 
to  go  home." 


THE    ANGEL   HELPER.  375 

"  Thee  may'st  not  be  the  best  judge,"  said 
Aunt  Huldah,  chidingly.  "Thee  should'st 
obey  without  gainsaying."  Zeke  felt  the 
kind  reproof,  and  retired  promptly. 

The  captain  noticed  the  change  for  the 
better  in  Zeke.  He  learned,  too,  that  he 
was  not  now  seen  at  the  gatherings  of  the 
idlers  at  the  store  or  bar-room,  but  did  not 
at  once  learn  what  other  place  of  resort  he 
had  found.  He  was  satisfied  that  he  had 
found  better  company, .  so  he  made  no  in- 
quiry. When,  after  several  weeks,  he  learned 
that  he  had  become  intimate  at  Amos  Doane's, 
and  was  under  the  training  of  his  wife,  he 
said,  in  his  bluff  way,  "I  see  how  it  is  that 
the  boy's  craft  is  getting  into  better  trim ; 
he,  will  not  need  so  much  watching.  He  was 
heading  for  the  breakers  when  she  hailed 
him."  A  few  days  after  this,  the  captain 
said,  as  Zeke  was  leaving  the  house  for  Hul- 
dah's,  "Boy,  you  needn't  come  home  these 
short  summer  evenings  until  half  past  nine, 


376      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

unless  you  have  a  mind  to ! "  It  was  the 
first  word  concerning  any  indulgence  which 
Zeke  had  ever  heard  from  him.  His  "Thank 
you,  sir,"  came  from  a  full  heart. 

Every  evening  now  found  Zeke  at  Aunt 
Huldah's.  He  was  either  alone  in  her  small, 
homelike  and  always  tidy  kitchen,  reading 
some  books  of  her  suggestion,  or,  when  she 
was  sewing,  sitting  near  her,  listening  to  her 
bewitching  stories,  or  ever  welcome  words 
of  advice.  He  always  felt  that  the  evenings 
were  short.  Early  in  their  acquaintance,  Hul- 
dah  had  asked,  "Ezekiel,  hast  thee  a  copy 
of  the  Word  of  God?" 

Zeke  blushed,  and  said,  "No  ma'am." 
Aunt  Huldah  took  from  her  small,  but  well- 
selected  library,  a  small  copy  —  an  English 
edition,  which  was  much  prized  by  her. 
"Thee  may'st  take  this  for  thy  present  use,' 
she  remarked,  placing  it  in  his  hand.  "Read 
it  daily,  and  pray  much  when  thee  reads. 
Ezekiel,  dost  thee  pray?"  Zeke  answered 


THE   ANGEL   HELPEE.  377 

no,  by  his  confusion  of  face.  "If  thoa  pray- 
est  aright,"  continued  Aunt  Huldah,  "it  will 
bring  to  thee  comfort  in  thy  loneliness,  and 
strength  in  thy  weakness." 

Zeke  took  the  precious  little  volume  to 
his  room,  and  morning  and  night,  read  a 
few  words  of  its  teachings.  It  prepared  the 
way  for  another  step  in  the  right  path.  It 
led  to  a  constant  attendance  upon  the  Sun- 
day services,  which  Aunt  Huldah  never  neg- 
lected, though  there  was  no  society  of 
Friends  in  the  place.  Zek.e  had  not  been 
often,  but  now  he  found  that  his  going  made 
occasion  for  new  friendships,  which  brought 
him  many  kind,  encouraging  words.  He  no 
longer  said,  "I  don't  care,"  "Nobody  cares 
i  for  me."  "  I  am  having  good  luck  since  my 
acquaintance  with  Aunt  Huldah,"  he  said. 
But  the  utterance  ,  came  from  the  teachings 
of  Crone's  Corner,  while  he  heard  at  the 
same  time  a  secret  whisper  in  his  heart, 
saying,  "  Your  improved  condition  is  God's 


378       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

blessing  on   a   better  life ;    do  right   and  be 
happy." 

Captain  Prince  was  becoming  tired  of  farm- 
ing. The  grounds  about  his  house  were  the 
admiration  of  all  persons  of  good  taste;  his 
fruit  trees  were  in  thrifty  order,  and  of  rare 
kinds ;  his  great  barn,  full  of  hay,  his  gran- 
ary full  of  many  kinds  of  grain,  and  his  cel- 
lars crowded  with  vegetables,  were  his  pride. 
His  live  stock  was  large  for  those  days,  and 
made  their  owner  the  envy  of  all  his  neigh- 
bors, when  they  thought  how  much  money 
they  would  bring,  if  sold.  But  all  these 
things  cost  largely  in  hard  work,  care  and 
cash  expenditure.  The  owner  began  to  fret 
over  his  farm.  "It  costs  a  mint  of  money, 
and  is  a  great  bother,"  he  began  to  say. 
His  purse  felt  the  draft,  for  farming  "with 
fancy  fixings"  paid  no  better  then  than  now. 
So  the  captain  began  "to  take  in  sail."  He 
sold  most  of  his  stock  in  the  fall  after  Zeke 
came,  and  after  the  fall  work  was  done,  he 


THE   ANGEL   HELPER.  379 

lived  more  quietly  in  the  house,  and  left  the 
chores,  now  easily  done,  to  John  and  Zeke. 
Both  had  won  his  confidence,  and  now  en- 
joyed its  benefits,  for  the  captain  was  not 
a  man  of  low  suspicions  when  he  had  learned 
to  confide. 

The  winter  came, —  that  winter  which  fol- 
lowed the  spiritual  harvest  at  Alden  Farm 
and  Crone's  Corner, —  bringing  the  Spirit's 
drawing  towards  Christ  of  Zeke,  while  spend- 
ing his  long  evenings  in  the  Christian  home 
of  Aunt  Huldah.  He  began  to  feel  the  in- 
spiration of  that  Spirit,  who,  all  unknown  to 
himself,  was  fitting  him  for  re-union  with 
those  whom  the  same  Holy  Spirit  had  made 
new  creatures  in  Christ. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   JUBILEE. 

IT  was  the  next  morning  after  the  visit  of 
Joel  and  Mary  Organ  to  the  Crones,  when 
their  confession  was  made,  that  they  were 
talking  over,  with  ever  deepening  feeling  of 
sorrow,  their  agency  in  Zeke's  long  absence. 

"I  tell  you  what  I  am  thinking,"  said  Joel. 
"I  am  thinking  that  it  is  my  duty  to  go, 
myself,  and  get  Zeke." 

"You  carried  him  away,"  said  his  wife, 
sadly. 

"I  suppose,"  said  Joel,  smiling,  "that  if  I 
go  and  tell  Uncle  Prince  how  mean  and 
wicked  I  have  been,  he  will  nearly  'skin 
me.'  But  we  are  commanded  to  'confess' 
as  well  as  'to  forsake'  our  sins,  and  I  have 

380 


THE   JUBILEE.  381 

wronged  Uncle  Prince  in  imposing,  by  false- 
hood, Zeke  upon  him." 

The  next  morning,  Joel  was  driving  over 
the  road  to  the  Eagle  Tavern,  where  he  had 
parted  with  Zeke.  Here  he  took  the  stage, 
and  the  next  evening  he  reached  the  door 
of  Captain  Prince.  The  uncle  and  nephew 
had  always  been  on  friendly  terms,  and  this 
meeting  was  cordial.  Joel  was  not  long  in 
coming  to  the  immediate  business  of  his 
visit.  He  stated  the  facts  concerning  Zeke, 
and  frankly  and  with  great  tenderness  and 
humility,  rehearsed  his  own  part  in  the  bad 
transaction.  The  captain  heard  him  through 
without  interruption,  but  with  a  contracted 
brow  and  a  curl  of  contempt  upon  his  lips. 
He  was  not  a  man  to  appreciate  the  peniten- 
tial tears,  which,  at  the  close  of  Joel's  state- 
ment, stole  down  his  face.  "Joel!"  he 
exclaimed,  rising  and  striding  across  the 
room,  "you  have  been  contemptibly  mean! 
Why  didn't  you  tell  me  the  truth,  sir,  when 


382      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

you  sent  the  boy  to  me?"  A  silence  fol- 
lowed for  a  moment,  which  appeared  to  Joel 
only  the  brief  pause  wrhich  portended  a  heav- 
ier explosion  of  the  storm.  "The  truth, 
sir ! "  repeated  the  captain,  in  a  voice  of 
thunder,  as  he  stopped  before  Joel,  and 
fixed  on  him  his  full,  fiery  eye.  "Why 
didn't  you  tell  the  truth,  like  a  man  ! " 

Another  pause  followed,  which  the  captain 
broke  by  saying,  in  a  calmer,  but  firm  tone, 
"Joel  Organ,  leave  my  house  at  your  earliest 
possible  convenience ;  and  never  say,  sir,  that 
you  are  related  to  Captain  James  Prince. 
I  will  return  the  boy,  sir,  to  his  friends,  in 
my  own  time  and  way." 

Joel  was  glad,  through  Zeke's  introduction, 
to  breathe  the  forgiving  atmosphere  of  Aunt 
Huldah's  home,  until  the  return  of  the  stage, 
two  days  after  the  captain's  denial  to  him 
of  the  hospitalities  of  his  house.  He  was 
not  allowed  to  know  anything  of  his  pur- 
poses concerning  Zeke.  His  return  home 


THE  JUBILEE.  383 

alone,  with  this  humiliating  statement  of  the 
results  of  his  well-intended  visit,  was  to  him- 
self and  to  his  wife  a  severe  test  of  the 
genuineness  of  their  penitence ;  and  the  test 

proved  profitable,  because  they  bore  it  well. 

***** 

The  one  dark  spot,  in  the,  of  late,  silver- 
lined  cloud,  which  rested  upon  the  home  at 
Crone's  Corner,  entirely  disappeared  when 
Captain  James  Prince  entered,  preceded  by 
Zeke.  The  captain  introduced  himself  with 
his  habitual  stateliness,  and  took  the  seat 
cordially  offered.  He  was  about  to  explain 
with  dignity  the  reasons  of  his  personal 
coming,  speak  a  good  word-  for  Zeke,  and 
launch  his  sailor's  broad-side  at  the  Organs, 
when  he  came  to  a  stand-still,  like  a  ship 
suddenly  struck  by  a  counter  current,  and 
held  for  the  moment  in  the  eddy.  Zeke  had 
framed  most  studiously,  words  of  confession 
and  conciliation  for  the  ears  of  his  offended 
parents.  But  if  his  return  was  in  the  spirit 


384      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAKM. 

of  the  prodigal,  his  welcome  was  that  of  the 
prodigal's  father.  His  coming  had  been  seen, 
by  hope  and  love,  a  great  way  off.  Yearn- 
ing hearts  of  tender  affection  were  ready  with 
the  kiss  and  embrace  of  forgiveness,  recog- 
nition and  welcome.  The  words  of  Ezekiel 
and  Jerusha  Crone  were  fewer  than  their 
tears,  and  both  united  to  choke  back 
Zeke's  intended  exclamation,  "Father,  I  have 
sinned ! "  We  have  sinned,  was  the  spirit 
of  their  salutation.  "Halloo,  Zeke  !  "  shouted 
his  sisters,  Jane  and  Betsey,  as  they  rushed 
upon  him,  throwing  their  arms  around  his 
neck  and  drawing  him  down  nearly  to  the 
floor.  Tom  looked  on  and  cried.  He  did 
not  need  to  speak,  or  otherwise  act  his  wel- 
come. It  was  his  lost  brother  on  whom  his 
eyes  rested,  and  he  was  satisfied. 

The  captain  looked  upon  the  scene  with 
surprise.  Were  these  the  parents  of  Zeke, 
who,  he  had  for  a  year  believed,  had  turned 
him  out  into  the  cold  world !  It  was  well 


THE   JUBILEE.  385 

Joel  was  not  just  then  present.  But  this 
feeling  soon  gave  way  to  more  tender  emo- 
tions, and,  at  last,  he  wiped  a  tear  from  his 
face,  the  first  that  had  moistened  it  since  it 
became  tanned  by  the  sun  of  many  climes ; 
and,  now  that  his  heart  was  melted,  he'  en- 
tered into  the  occasion  with  a  generous  in- 
terest. He  had  much  to  say  of  Zeke's  great 
improvement  the  few  last  months,  but  gave 
the  credit  to  his  "  prim  neighbor,"  Aunt  Hul- 
dah,  in  words  as  direct  and  forcible  as  those 
he  used  in  reproving  Joel.  He  closed  his 
commendation,  by  saying,  with  a  pleasant 
smile,  which  was  possible  to  him,  "An  old 
sailor  can  break  a  colt,  but  it  takes  Aunt 
Huldah  to  make  him  trot  round  at  your 

word,  as  though  he  loved  to  ! " 

***** 

When  John  Alden  learned  that  Zeke  had  re- 
turned, and  after  having  had  repeated  to  him 
the  generous  words  of  Captain  Prince,  he 
sprang  to  his  feet,  in  one  of  his  old,  gen- 

25 


386       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

erous  impulses,  at  which  Patience  smiled, 
and  in  reference  to  which  she  usually  had 
some  cool,  wise  word  of  caution.  "Pa- 
tience!" he  exclaimed,  bringing  his  hands 
together  with  a  sharp  crack  which  startled 
puss  from  her  dozing  on  the  sunny  window- 
seat, —  "  Patience  !  we  must  have  a  jubilee  !  " 

"Well,  John,"  said  Patience,  in  a  measured 
tone,  but  with  a  merry  twinkle  of  her  eye, 
w  I  should  think  your  jubilee  had  begun ! " 

"Let  us  have,"  continued  John,  in  a  more 
subdued  tone,  "a  day  of  thanksgiving.  Let 
us  kill  the  fatted  calf.  Many,  that  were  a 
few  months  ago  lost  in  sin,  are  found.  The 
wanderer,  for  whom  we  have  all  mourned, 
has  returned.  Joy  has  come  to  our  own  home 
in  the  conversion  of  our  boys ! "  The  last 
reason  given  melted  Mr..  Alden,  and  he  added, 
in  a  low,  deep  whisper,  "Patience,  my  dear 
wife,  we  must  have  a  jubilee ! " 

The  kitchen  of  Alden  Farm  was  soon  jubi- 
lant with  the  preparations.  It  had  often  been 


THE    JUBILEE.  387 

so,  hut  never  with  a  more  sacred  joy.  The 
pastor,  the  good  Deacon  Turner,  Ezekiel 
Crone,  the  good  friend  "William  Treat,  each 
with  his  entire  family ;  Patty  Vose  and  her 
mother,  with  a  long  list  of  the  young  con- 
verts, and  young  people  —  friends  of  Carver 
and  Miles,  were  already  put  down  among 
the  guests.  The  younger  members  of  the 
family  discussed  the  coming  festival,  with 
learned  wisdom.  "Baby  Winnie" — still  the 
baby,  though  ranging  the  house  and  barn 
with  lordly  freedom  —  uttered  his  "  cute  " 
sayings,  which,  in  the  estimation  of  the 
other  children,  "beat  all  that's  printed  in  the 
books." 

When  Ezekiel  Crone  learned  what  was 
going  on  at  Alden  Farm,  he  exclaimed, 
"Brother  Aldeu  is  at  his  old  business  of 
beating  us  all  in  his  good  notions.  But  he's 
too  fast  this  time !  We,  Jerusha,  must  have 
the  jubilee  !  " 

"That  we  must!"  exclaimed  his  wife,  with 


THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

all  of  her  old  energy,  but  now  it  was  as 
the  subduing  breath  of  spring,  compared 
with  the  freezing  blast  of  a  winter  tempest. 
"It  is  our  son  who  was  lost  and  is  found," 
she  continued,  "and  in  our  home  the  feast 
must  be  made." 

Alden  Farm  gave  way  to  this  reasonable 
suggestion,  and  the  notes  of  preparation  be- 
gan to  be  heard  at  Crone's  Corner.  Since 
they  had  sought  and  found  the  secret  of 
good  luck  in  carrying  out  their  plans,  the 
preparations  went  on  pleasantly.  "VYe  have 
seen  that  Alden  Farm  itself  could  not  excel 
Mrs.  Crone  in  the  manner  in  which  she  pre- 
pared her  food  for  the  table.  Her  husband's 
means  had  improved  of  late,  and  he  provided 
amply  for  the  occasion.  Every  room  of  their 
old  house  soon  smiled  in  its  perfect  order 
and  cleanliness.  The  children  dismissed  the 
last  of  the  old  feeling,  "  we  are  nobody," 
in  an  honest  self-respect  from  the  thought 
that  the  jubilee  was  at  their  own  home,  and 


THE   JUBILEE.  389 

that  invitations  were  to  go  out  from  there, 
instead,  as  in  former  days,  always  coming 
to  it. 

Invitations  were  extended  to  all  whom  the 
Aldens  proposed  to  invite,  and  were  carried 
even  further  in  one  direction.  They  included 
some  who  had  been  known  only  in  their 
opposition  to  those  influences  by  which  the 
Corner  had  been  saved.  It  seemed  to  be 
Jerusha  Crone's  thought  —  for  the  suggestion 
came  from  her  —  that  the  songs  of  gladness 
of  the  saved,  might  be  blessed  to  those  still 
wandering,  though  they  had  repelled  other 
efforts  for  their  good. 

The  evening  of  the  Jubilee  at  Crone's  Cor- 
ner came.  All  came  quite  near  the  hour 
suggested  by  the  host.  In  this  "  olden  time  " 
the  guests  showed  their  good  manners  in 
punctuality  at  feasts,  as  well  as  at  church, 
and  none  affected  refiuemeut  by  coming  late. 
When  the  rooms  were  filled,  Mr.  Curtis,  in 
behalf  of  the  host,  bid  all  welcome,  and  in- 


390       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAEM. 

vited  them  to  join  in  singing,  "  All  hail  the 
power  of  Jesus'  name,"  in  "Coronation." 
While  the  song  was  filling  the  house  with 
the  music  of  the  heart,  some  of  the  loafers 
from  the  tavern  looked  slyly  in.  Their 
ranks  had  been  thinned  of  late,  by  death, 
•and  still  more,  by  desertions  to  the  company 
of  "Teetotalers."  They  had  prophecied  that 
"oldZeke's  party  "would  be  a  great  "fizzle," 
and  that  nobody  except  John  Alden  could 
make  a  jubilee.  So  they  had  come  to  see 
the  failure.  The  spirit-stirring  song,  whose 
burden  was  the  conquering  name  of  Jesus, 
a  glance  at  the  crowd  of  happy  though  sober 
looking  faces,  and,  to  them,  not  least,  Mrs. 
Crone's  richly  laden  and  tastefully  arranged 
table,  amazed  them.  "It  beats  Alden  Farm 
folks,"  whispered  one.  "Old  Zeke  is  awful 
extravagant,"  said  another.  But  some  lin- 
gered round,  won  by  the  pure  joy  of  the 
occasion, —  were  invited  in,  and  forsook  from 
that  time,  the  thorny  path  of  sin. 


THE   JUBILEE.  391 

Patty  Vose  was  seated  in  a  quiet  corner 
of  the  parlor.  "How  do  even  children  pay 
deference  to  character"  remarked  Parson  Cur- 
tis, calling  Deacon  Turner's  attention  to  the 
constant  gathering  of  young  people  and  little 
ones  about  the  serious,  but  sun-shiny,  and 
ever  loving  hunchback.  They  all  consulted 
her  in  reference  to  their  amusements,  or  any 
question  of  pleasant  dispute  which  occurred. 

Martha  Turner,  "  bewitched,"  as  the  atten- 
tive eyes  of  certain  "maiden  ladies"  assured 
them,  all  the  "young  boys."  "It  was  ridic- 
ulous," they  said,  "for  a  deacon's  daughter 
to  act  so."  But  it  was  difficult  for  even 
them  to  tell  what  wrong  thing  Mattie  said 
or  did.  In  the  good  sense  of  her  remarks 
she  was  the  superior  of  her  accusers.  In 
making  the  little  ones  happy,  she  excelled 
all  others.  In  making  the  timid  feel  at  ease, 
in  causing  the  aged  to  confess  that  all  re- 
spect for  years  on  the  part  of  the  young 
did  not  leave  the  earth  in  their  childhood, 


392      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM. 

in  scattering  sunshine  generally,  and,  espe- 
cially, as  a  result  in  part  of  all  this,  making 
all  except  the  meanly  jealous  love  her,  Mar- 
tha Turner  was  a  great  sinner  —  in  the  es- 
timation of  the  before  mentioned  ladies  of 
"a  certain  age."  Nor  was  it  her  fault  that 
Carver  Alden  loved  her  better  than  he  loved 
these  ancient  dames, —  or  even  that  he  loved 
her,  as  it  began  to  be  whispered,  better  than 
he  loved  any  other  young  person. 

The  Organs  were  present,  receiving  the 
special  attention  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crone. 
Cordial  forgiveness  of  their  sin  was  stamped 
upon  all  countenances  —  except  their  own. 
Squire  True's  dignity  was  subdued  by  the 
loving  freedom  which  breathed  about  him. 
One  of  the  most  pleasant  incidents  of  the 
evening,  was  the  entering,  in  the  midst  of 
the  social  interview,  of  Dr.  Burt.  "I  have 
come,"  he  said,  to  his  old  friends,  "to  con- 
fess my  past  errors,  and  to  give  to  John 
Alden,  and  my  pastor,  and  their  faithful 


THE   JUBILEE.  393 

helpers,  my  hand  of  fellowship  in  their 
Christian  labors,  and  moral  reforms.  I  have 
been  wrong,  they  have  been  right.  My  old 
friend,  Deacon  Prime,  if  he  were  living, 
would  join  me  in  this.  The  plain  man  of 
Alden  Farm  '  has  conquered  my  prejudices, 
and  shown,  by  his  kind,  but  independent 
pursuit  of  the  right,  my  mistake.  Hence- 
forth I  am  with  you." 

It  was  not  late  when  the  company  broke 
up  and  sought  their  own  homes,  nor  had  the 
feet  of  any  young  person  attempted  to  add 
anything  during  the  gathering,  to  the  enter- 
tainment. Brains  and  heart  sufficed  for  all. 

At  the  close  of  the  following  summer,  Car- 
ver Alden  entered  college.  His  preparation 
was  thorough  for  those  days,  for  teacher  and 
pupil  agreed  in  careful  painstaking  with  every 
lesson.  He  carried  with  him  to  college  no 
unwise  thought,  that  by  "smartness,"  or  some 
favoring  circumstance,  (by  many,  foolishly 
called  "good  luck,")  he  should  secure  in- 


394       THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FAUM. 

fluence  and  scholarship.  The  self-relying 
energy  of  Alden  Farm,  united  with  the  cul- 
tivation of  a  true  Christian  heart,  gave  him 
a  calm,  steady  assurance  that  all  needed  suc- 
cess was  sure. 

His  brother  Miles  commenced  his  college 
course  the  next  year.  Less  dignified,  more 
lively  than  Carver,  he  was  no  less  steady  to 
principle  and  work. 

Alden  Farm,  in  the  meantime,  threw  its 
strong  protecting  arm  around  Hope  Cottage. 
*  Patty  Vose  and  her  mother  shall  fail  for 
counsel  ^2nd  help,  only  when  Aldeu  Farm 
fails,"  said  Mr.  Alden,  and  his  word  was  a 
moral  power. 

Zeke  had,  with  Tom,  spent  his  leisure 
hours  during  the  summer,  studying  and  re- 
citing to  Patty  Vose.  They  could  get  up 
early  now  to  secure  an  extra  hour,  and  not 
be  driven  to  bed.  The  work  of  the  farm 
under  the  united,  cordial  labor  of  father 
and  sons,  proceeded  to  good  results. 


THE   JUBILEE.  395 

Just  before  the  winter  came,  the  following 
letter  was  received  at  the  Corner :  — 

"Mr  FRIENDS:  —  I  have  reduced  my  farm- 
ing to  a  small,  snug  business.  My  man, 
John,  leaves  me  this  fall.  Your  son,  Eze- 
kiel,  is  just  the  young  man  for  my  work 
this  winter,  and  I  think  he  can  take  the 
charge  of  my  farm  next  summer,  for  which 
he  shall  have  good  pay.  Mrs.  Prince  unites 
with  me  in  requesting  him  to  come.  Nancy 
says  she  '  don't  want  no  new  man  fussing 
round;'  she  prefers  Ezekiel.  Finally,  Aunt 
Huldah  says,  'Captain,  I  think  thee  will  do 
well  to  employ  Ezekiel.'  I  know  she  pines 
for  'her  boy.'  So  let  him  come. 

"JAMES  PRINCE." 

Thus  young  Ezekiel  Crone  became  the 
trusted  foreman  of  the  farm  of  Captain 
Prince,  and  was  loved  and  counseled  by  the 


396      THE  LUCK  OF  ALDEN  FARM.  ' 

good  Quaker  woman,  Aunt  Huldah,  as  one 
taking  the  place  of  her  lost  son. 

His  brother  Thomas  remained  at  home, 
the  intelligent,  Christian  young  man,  holding 
out  by  his  steady  principle  and  uniform  in- 
dustry, a  good  hope  to  his  parents  of  com- 
fort and  support  from  him  in  old  age. 

So  Crone's  Corner  rivaled  Alden  Farm  in 
the  "luck"  which  comes  from  a  strong  will 
and  a  good  heart.  Both  families  learned  that 

"  What  most  •would  profit  us  God  knows, 
And  ne'er  denies  aught  good  to  those 
Who  with  their  utmost  strength  pursue 
The  right,  and  only  care  to  do 

What  pleases  Him." 


THE    END. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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1959 


Form  L9-lGOm-9,'52(A3105)444 


THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF 

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rudge  - 


The  luck  of 
AldaiFarm. 


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